Just Barely There
by Brendi 717
Summary: Hiyori Yamaguchi has just transferred into Ryoutei Academy, an elite night school. Little did she know that she'd have quite the experience with quite a few odd students, especially concerning a certain devious Sakamaki. Hiyori even starts to uncover some interesting things about herself as well. (LaitoXOC) (AyatoxYui) I don't own Diabolik Lovers.
1. Chapter 1

"Alright Hiyori, I know that this isn't easy for you, but with my Job and your schooling, you're going to have to attend Ryoutei Academy. Its a bit fancier than you're previous school and it's at night, but I hope that you can do all of what you were doing before without too much trouble. I won't be home during the day a lot, so you can take care of all you need to while its still daylight at home, then by the time its evening, I'll be home and here to see you off. I can't see you off tonight though, tomorrow most definitely. I know that you're no night owl, but you'll get use to the routine in no time I'm sure. Plus, I'll be making a lot more than before with this promotion."

My father has just gotten a promotion at his Job. I never bothered to know what it is exactly my father does, but its got something to do with politics. Apparently, he's gonna be gone majority of the time during the day, so he won't be home to see me off or enjoy breakfast in the morning. To be honest though, I wasn't too bothered about it. I got use to coming home and seeing him gone and having to eat meals alone. Besides, It was the least I could do considering how hard he pushed himself. I didn't need him worrying about me.

It hasn't been easy on him at all. Its just been me and my dad ever since Mom died. My Father has been working down to the bone to provide for us. Bills, clothes, food, and just your everyday living expenses. I was never ungrateful for all that he's done, in fact, I was very worried about him over exerting himself. He's done so before and had to be put on bed rest for a few of days. I don't want to sound cruel, but I was glad that he had to be put on bed rest for stressing his body. That was probably the first time in years that he's gotten proper sleep and the first time in years that we got to spend time together. Yeah it was just me nursing him, but we got to talk a lot. He found out something new about me, and vice versa. However things are gonna be from now on, I'll adapt in no time. If it'll make him worry less about me, I'll be flexible.

"Dad don't worry. I'll be okay and get use to everything. Its just school. I'll continue doing what I've been doing previously."

My Dad sighed and gave me a tight hug before he left.

"Hiyori, try to make some friends sweetie."

He said before he pulled away.

I looked at my feet and just nodded. I know he wants me to have friends, but to be honest, I just never bothered. My goal was to go to school, get good grades, get in a good college and get a steady career. I don't want to sound cold, but I felt that friends were a...distraction. If I did make a friend or two, then of course I'll be happy, but until then, I'm happier staying to myself.

But of course, I'd never tell my dad how I really felt about the idea of making friends, so I just smiled and nodded.

"Okay dad. I'll try for you."

My Dad gave one last smile and left for work.

I had the whole day to take care of some errands. Shopping for dinner, fetching the mail, taking care of a few bills and then cleaning up a bit. I was considering going out for a walk but immediately rejected the idea. I wasn't an outside person, so I'm quite the hermit. I stay to myself and that's that. Its simpler that way.

I wipe the small sweat off my forehead, and put the damp mop out back to drip and dry out. I'll just bring it in later to soak it with some hot water and bleach.

Its been a while since this place had been cleaned properly. With my dad rarely being home and me studying wildly at school, there was no time to thoroughly clean the house. It felt nice.

After coming back inside from putting the mop out back, I quickly laid down on the couch.

"As great as that felt, I'm beat. I never realized how much dust can accumulate in so many different areas like that."

Instead of switching on the TV, I just spaced out thinking about my new night school.

"A fancy night school huh? Hmmm...I wonder how it's gonna be from now on. Im sure its just like regular ol' school just at night."

Dad said it was fancier than my last school, what did he mean by that? Was it a rich kid school maybe? He did say that he was gonna be making a lot more money, but how much could he be making to put me in a fancy ritzy school? I could've suggested home schooling but my dad would've dropped that option without hesitation. He really wanted me to have friends, and being home schooled is not a way to do it.

For the time he was bed ridden, he told me how he'd just love to have me invite friends over, just so he can share all my embarrassing stories to them.

Just thinking about it makes me smile. As much as I'm not too keen on the idea, I suppose I can give it a try to make a friend or two. But only if I'm approached, I told myself.

I closed my eyes and dozed off for a few minutes.

 ** _Ring ring!_**

I jolted up from the couch after hearing the house phone ring loudly. I almost ignored it until I remembered that the school that I was to be attending to tonight was suppose to be calling. Sighing, I stretched before getting up and walked towards the phone.

"Hello, Yamaguchi residence...Yes this is she...I'm pleased to meet you Ms. Nakayama...Oh, unfortunately my father won't be able to make it, will it be alright if its just me that shows up tonight and then my father can handle everything else tomorrow night?...Yes ma'am I'm 17...Okay ma'am...Thank you so much, I hope to enjoy my following year there...see you soon."

I hung up the phone and went to my room to get ready.

After getting in and out the shower, I put on my new school uniform. Tied the bow and patted down my skirt. My Dad got the uniform the same day he enrolled me into Ryoutei Academy. I was actually surprised at how quick I got the uniform. Usually it takes a while to get a new uniform prepped for a new student, especially when its a girl. With all the measurements and what not. Ryoutei must really be an elite school.

I walked over to my mirror to see how I looked. I wasn't too bad. My long brown hair was down my back with a simple yet cute hair clip at the top of my head, I didn't wear make up, there wasn't a need. I didn't have terrible skin but it wasn't perfect. Since I was olive toned, my flaws on my skin wasn't really too noticeable unless you got completely in my face of course. I wasn't a model but I guess out of everything on my body, I've got say, I loved my eyes. They were hazel, almost seemed like amber whenever the sun hit them just right. Dad always said that I had Mom's features, and he'd worry that some boy would come and scoop me up.

I laugh to myself thinking how ridiculous my Dad is. I grab my bag and head out the door. Dad said that it was only a few blocks from the house, so I should be there in a few minutes.

"Wow, that was a short walk. Man, it feels nice to live close to a school for once."

My last school was further away from home and my dad always had to get up extra early to take me to school. I'd tell him that I'd just take the bus, that way he can get extra sleep, but he insisted. Saying that a good drive in the morning together was the most relaxing time before work. I loved that he appreciated the small things in life but I just wish he wouldn't worry so much about me.

I walk up to the front gates of the school and looked around in awe. This school was most definitely an elite. The uniforms should've been a giveaway, but when you actually see the place, you can clearly see its not bullcrap. The architecture was absolutely beautiful. Like something you'd see from centuries ago in history books.

As I began to walk up to the school doors, It had suddenly gotten kinda quiet. Everyone stopped talking with each other, with only whispers filling the area. I turn around to see what caused the immediate change around me, only to see a sleek black limo slowly pulling up in front of the school. My only guess is that whoever is in that car, must be some kind of celebrity that goes here or something.

As the car door opened, everyone seemed to have stilled.

One by one, a handsome boy appeared one after the other. I don't usually pay any mind to the opposite sex but my goodness, it'd be a big lie if I said that these guys weren't absolutely gorgeous. The air they carried seemed arrogant and intimidating yet very mysterious and eerie. One was tall dark and wore glasses, the next after him was curly blonde with an MP3 around his neck, another had white/silver hair and quite the scowl on his face as he walked behind the others in front of him, a young looking boy was next, he had terrible bags under his eyes and carried a bear. That was odd. I wonder how old he truly is. The next was a Fedora wearing boy. He had neck length soft looking hair and was pretty much enjoying the attention they all were receiving from the crowd. Whoever these boys were, they were clearly the core of this school.

While everyone was stuck in awe over the stunning group of boys, I took notice of a petite blonde girl exiting the car next. I didn't expect a girl to be exiting next. There were so many boys leaving the car, that it took me by surprise. She wasn't the last passenger though. There was a messy red haired boy that was practically glued to her side. As if he's worried someone would steal her away from him. Her head was down, no expression on her face and she looked very pale. Despite all that, she was very pretty. Almost like a smooth porcelain doll.

I'm guessing the limo had been completely emptied out because it had quickly drove away. As the strange yet beautiful group began heading towards the doors, everyone, mostly the female students, just started speaking in awe of them.

"They're sooo cool~."

"Not just cool. They're like heaven's gift from above."

"Ugh damn that girl. She's so lucky to live with them."

"She always looks so sad. I'd be thrilled to be that close to them. Ungrateful."

"Totally unappreciative."

I couldn't help but sneer at the girls saying such things about that petite blonde. What the hell was their problem? They weren't even trying to be subtle about it. I'm sure that girl heard everything those snobs said before she went inside. If these were the type of students that I'm gonna be attending school with for the remainder of my time here, then I'm better off being left alone. Yet again, you never know. Its still pretty early, so I can't say that everyone is like those horrid girls at the front entrance.

I make my way inside the school and quickly went looking for the Faculty Office. I walked around for a good minute trying to find the Office on common sense alone. Usually the Office is on the middle floor but this is a whole new school with a completely different layout from my previous school, so it wasn't gonna be easy.

I wanted to ask for help, but my shyness kicked in. Compared to these kids, I was nothing but a commoner. Its not like they knew what my lifestyle was like or anything, and I'm not poor just average.

I just need to suck it up and ask someone before I'm late on my first day here. Well first night.

I looked up and down the hallway to see if I could find someone that looked friendly enough to give me directions.

While, I'm scanning the hallway, I look further down near the end and see the blonde girl I saw earlier. She wasn't alone though. That intimidating looking red head was with her. He was clearly saying something to her, of course I couldn't hear but whatever he said to her, her entire face turned bright crimson. Its none of my business, but I wondered if they were in a relationship of some sort. I did hear those students at the entrance say that she lived with them, but for all I know, that could be a ridiculous rumor made up by the mob of jealous girls.

After a while he walked off and left her there. I'm assuming they're not in the same class and he went off to his own classroom while she would head on to hers.

I didn't realize how long I had been staring in her direction until she looked back at me.

My eyes went wide as I realized how rude I probably seemed to her. Before I could walk off, I heard her call out to me.

"Um excuse me..."

Her voice was so soft and sweet but I was still able to hear her clearly. I stopped and turned around to face her. She began walking towards me and I began to walk towards her, and we met each other half way. I thought she was gonna scold me for staring but I was wrong.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were roaming around the hallway. You wouldn't happen to be a new student would you?"

I was taken aback by her response. I was definitely not expecting that. I realized that I was just standing there like a mindless idiot and finally said something.

"Uh yeah. I'm sorry about me spacing out like that. Yes I'm new here and I was looking for the Faculty Office. Can you help me?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Its actually a floor down. My class is down stairs, so since I'm heading that way let's go together."

I more than appreciated her assistance and we walked down to the office together.

Once we made it down to the office, we said our farewells and went our ways. I was positive that I was gonna see her again, so I'm sure this isn't my last encounter with her. She does seem a bit...strange, but she helped me out, and I appreciated that.

How can those students say such things about her when they probably won't even try to get to know her. Then again, I don't know her at all either, but just because I don't know her, doesn't mean I'm gonna be hostile towards her just because she's surrounded by those pretty boys. There's no telling what her situation is and I refuse to judge her.

I walked in the office and a lot if eyes laid on me quickly. Feeling awkward, I hurriedly spoke up.

"Good evening. I'm a new student and I'm looking for a Ms Nakayama."

When I mentioned the name, a middle aged looking woman got up from her seat and walked towards me with a smile on her face. She held her hand out and greeted me.

"Nice to meet you. Hiyori Yamaguchi right?"

I shook her hand and smiled in return.

"Yes. Nice to meet you as well. Again, I'm sorry that my father couldn't be present for the rest of the paper work, but he said he'll finish everything tomorrow evening."

Nakayama waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh dear don't worry about that. Its just a few signatures. Come to my desk and let me give you your schedule for the year."

Ms Nakayama kindly explained everything to me. The school regulations, dress code, showed me a list of clubs, etc. She was very patient and kind answering all of my questions. It would be amazing if she was my Homeroom teacher.

"You're all set. Here's your schedule and your Homeroom is 2-D. To your left as soon as you walk out that door. Class starts in 15 minutes."

I thanked Ms Nakayama and made my way to my class.

As I walked into my class and looked around, I saw many students talking amongst themselves and goofing around before class started. I looked at my paper to see where I was to be seated and walked over to my seat which was the empty one in the back of the class, one seat over from the window.

Before I put my bag on the back of my chair, I took out all that I would need for this period, then sat in my seat.

I can't believe that I'm enrolled in a night school. Around this time, I'd usually be at home studying or reading a book, but now my usual routine has just done a complete turn around.

I guess that whole "friend" thing isn't looking too good right now. I wasn't too bothered by it. Besides, I only wanted to put up an effort for my dad, but I promised myself, that I'd give it a try if someone approached me first. Usually whenever I attempted to chat with a fellow school mate, it'd always be awkward and uncomfortable. Then my anxiety kicks in and I become a turtle hiding in my shell. I myself wasn't that interesting of a person anyways. I go to school and go home. I don't really have a fun hobby, I read sometimes but I wouldn't really count that as a hobby. I've tried to find other things that may interest me, something actually fun, but nothing caught my attention. Maybe I'll try a club or something.

Sighing, I reached behind me to pull out a book to read before class started, but before I could get it, someone sat in the seat by the window which was next to me. I turn around to see who it was and my heart jumped in joy. It was the blonde girl that helped me earlier.

She smiled widely and waved.

"Looks like we have the same class."

I have never felt such a relief course through me like this before. She was like a breath of fresh air. After I closed my bag and turned around properly to face her,

I smiled and greeted her so excitedly.

"Looks that way. Uh...I'm sorry but let me introduce myself, my name is Hiyori Yamaguchi. I would've introduced myself earlier but I was in a bit of a rush."

Oh goodness I'm rambling and being awkward. I hate when I do that. Just when I was about to freak out, the blonde girl just smiled at me and introduced herself.

"Its okay. I'm glad I was of help. And my name is Yui Komori. Let's have a good year together."

I nodded cheerfully and she and I began to chat until the bell rang for class. Then I realized something, Komori san said she was going to class after she helped me in the hallway, so why was she not here when I got here? Maybe she forgot something. "Oh um Komori san...I was here in class before you, you said you were going to class after you helped me earlier, did you forget something?"

Komori san then turned red and chuckled.

"Oh Hiyori, you don't have to call me Komori san, Yui is just fine, and yeah. There was...something that I had to do."

I noticed that she looked uncomfortable and I quickly apologized.

"Komori san, I mean Yui, I didn't mean to pry. I was only curious."

Yui dismissed my worrisome apology and we chatted for the remainder of time we had until class started.

Even though Yui was soft spoken and sweet, she did seem a bit, strange. Not in a bad way, just something was off about her. I didn't want to judge her considering that I had just met her and she has been very nice to me since we met, I didn't want to be rude and try to figure her out. I'm no expert on judging people, but my gut says that she's a pretty alright person, and I'll go with that.

After looking at the clock, we both put a hold on our conversation until lunch. Class was about to start any minute and so we got all our stuff together.

Right before the bell rang, two male students walked in and all the female students turned their attention towards the door. It took me a minute to notice that those were the same boys from this morning that exited that Limo.

It was the boy that wore the Fedora and the other was the one with the teddy bear in his arms.

I have class with these two? I don't know why, but I feel very uneasy about them. Like I don't want them anywhere near me.

The Fedora boy looked in me and Yui's direction and gleefully made his way over.

Putting his arms around her shoulders, he happily greeted her.

"Bitch chan~ I see that you made a little friend. Ayato is gonna be jealous~."

Yui suddenly looked nervous for a minute. As if she was worried about something happening.

She then moved away from the boy that had his arms around her so that he wasn't as close to her anymore.

"Laito kun please don't do that. Ayato hates that."

Then out of nowhere, the boy with the bear appeared behind me with his face real close to mine. Surprised at the sudden closeness, I jerked away from him.

"She doesn't seem like much. You have an unusual taste in companions Yui..."

Yui frowned at the insult the boy threw at me.

"Kanato kun, that's not nice. Don't say things like that."

So their names are Laito and Kanato? As they were interacting with Yui, I found myself staring at them out of curiosity. Despite Kanato's eerie vibe, he was quite cute, especially with his bear. His bags under his eyes made him look half dead and deathly ill but other than that, he looked innocent. Looked innocent. I doubt that he was after that insult he threw at me.

Then there's Laito. I couldn't help but stare at his eyes. Green isn't my favorite color, in fact its one of my least, but Laito's eyes really draw you in. He seemed friendly and easy to talk to, but something is telling me to not associate myself with him.

"Ehhh~ doesn't your new friend know its rude to stare?"

I blinked in surprise as I realized how hard I was analyzing them. I couldn't help it though. Regardless of how mysterious they were, I couldn't help but feel curious about them.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. Um...its nice to meet you both."

Laito looked absolutely amused at my frantic apology and chuckled lightly.

"Bitch chan~ I like this new friend of yours. She's like a cute defenseless animal."

I felt bothered by what he said. It felt like an insult hidden between the lines but I noticed it immediately. That was most definitely not a compliment.

Kanato then smirked at me all of a sudden.

"I agree. Like a bird without wings waiting to be swooped up by a predator."

What in the world. My heart is jumping in my chest like crazy right now.

Yui noticed how tensed I was and laid her hand on my hand and smiled reassuringly. I felt myself calm down a small bit but I was still trying to shake this ghostly feeling.

As I was still trying to process what was going on, suddenly the teacher walked in the classroom. To my surprise and relief, it was Ms Nakayama.

"Good evening everyone. Class has begun, so get seated quickly. I have a few short announcements. Kanato and Laito, get to your seats. I don't want our new student feeling uncomfortable."

I smiled nervously. Thinking to myself that its a little too late for that warning.

After everyone got seated, Ms Nakayama motioned me up to the front of the class to introduce myself. I write my name on the board and turn to the class.

"Hello. Its nice to meet all of you. My name is Hiyori Yamaguchi and I hope to get along with all of you."

I bow and take my seat after the short applause from the class. After I take my seat, I notice that Laito is seated on the right side of me.

No way, this can't be his assigned seat. Laito looked in my direction and winked while giving me a flirtatious smirk. At that, I felt my face grow warm. I automatically put my hands to my face to see how hot I was.

I'm blushing? I mean he is attractive, but I shouldn't be feeling this way towards someone that basically called me a naive child to my face. I felt myself getting ready to tense up and freak out until Yui leaned in towards me.

"Lets have a good school year together Hiyori chan."

Then at that moment, all tension left me and I smiled warmly back in her direction. I swear, Yui was like a breath of fresh air. I felt myself calming down within seconds because of her making me feeling so welcomed here at this school. I thought my first day was going to be dreadful and stressful especially because of the ritzy atmosphere but with Yui here, it was a breeze. I hope things continue to be this simple for me.


	2. Chapter 2

_This story was originally posted on Wattpad under the name Nneka888. Its still up and it is my story and my account on Wattpad. I'm just putting this note here just in case someone sees it and won't assume that its stolen or etc. To all who is reading, please and enjoy and thank you for taking your time to read this._

After finishing my last class for the evening, I gathered up the last of my things and got ready to go. Things went pretty smoothly with all of my classes. All of my teachers seem okay and the students in each of my classes seem friendly enough. A few of them even offered to help me if I had any questions. From what I saw at the front gates earlier this evening, I had assumed that most of these students would be snobby brats. I'm so glad I was wrong.

As I walked out of my last class, I ran right into Yui who was walking in my direction as soon as I exited the classroom. She wasn't alone though, her companion was right along side her. I still don't know who he is to her, nor is it my business. Heck, I just met her, but that still doesn't mean my curiosity can be diminished. If I remember correctly, she mentioned his name during our first period after I met Laito and Kanato. Ayato I believe his name was. Now that I see him up close, he looks like quite the bad boy type. His uniform was sloppy and just lazily put on. His blazer was wide open, his tie was simply tossed around his neck and dropped down to his navel, and one of his pant legs was rolled up to the knee while the other stayed at the ankle. Now that I look at his face, he looks like Laito. The red hair, those sharp green eyes, and those features. Twins?

Yui's eyes lit up when we ran into each other and greeted me.

"Hiyori, I'm glad I got to see you before you went home. Did your first night here go okay?"

I nodded.

"Yes, It went well today. I'm actually not going straight home yet, I have to pick up a book from the library."

Yui looked as if she was about to say something, but then before she could, Ayato angrily spoke.

"Oi, hurry up. I'm ready to leave this hell hole and I'm hungry."

Yui frowned in his direction and sighed.

"Ayato, you're being rude."

Ayato scoffed and turned his head away.

"I don't care. I'm ready to go and I'm hungry."

I noticed how calm Yui was about how aggressive Ayato was being. How can she be so calm. This guy was being completely mean yet she didn't seem to be fazed by his behavior.

Ayato then looked at me and smirked.

"I swear, you have poor taste in friends. She's so plain. Kinda like you. But she **is** bigger than you when compared to yours."

Yui and I were visibly confused by his comment and almost didn't catch on to what he said, until we noticed him looking at our chests.

I instinctively put my arm over my chest and started blushing furiously. Was this guy for real?! How dare he? He's so smug and full of himself. He was a...total jerk. No, just a complete ass.

Yui was just as flustered as I was and was clearly embarrassed.

"A-ayato!"

Ayato laughed at her, clearly enjoying himself with the situation he started.

"Heh...that's what you get for making me wait. Let's go."

He then grabbed her by her arm and pulled her away towards the stairs before I could even digest what just transpired.

Before she was completely out of my site, she gave me a reassuring smile and a farewell.

"I'll see you tomorrow Hiyori!"

I stood as still as a statue for a minute. Just what in the world...

Whatever their relationship was, I felt myself feeling disapproving of it. I may not have ever had a boyfriend, but I don't need one to understand that a relationship like that wasn't a good one. Even though I just met her, I felt myself feeling very protective of her. I didn't want to ask her because I'd feel like I was probably misunderstanding something, but what was there to misunderstand. Ayato was rude from start to finish to Yui in my presence. He was also rude to me without hesitation. Thinking about his remark on my chest made me feel embarrassed all over again.

Rubbing my forehead after that sudden scenario, I went on my way to look for the library. My teacher from last period told me that the library was on the 3rd floor.

I made my way to the 3rd floor and looked around for a sign of the library.

I saw a sign above the doors that said "Library" and made my way in that direction. Making my way inside, I was met with deafening silence.

Well it **is** a library, can't expect anything else but man, what a library. Its like something you see in princess story books. Everything was just all neat and tidy looking, even with a few books stacked on the floor, it seemed perfectly fitting.

I went to the front desk to ask where I can find the section that carried Romantic Tragedy novels but no one was present.

I didn't want to be loud, so instead of yelling out to see if anyone was there to help me, I quietly made my way around the library looking for anyone to assist me or maybe I'd be lucky and come across the section myself.

As I maneuvered through almost each aisle, I heard rustling on the opposite side of the aisle I was in.

So someone **was** in here. Then that's when I heard some very strange noises. They were like grunts of pain and...moaning?

My heart started hammering hard in my chest as I tried to figure out what to do. Maybe someone was choking? Or having a heart attack or something? Or maybe they were dozing off in the library and they were just talking in their sleep?

I tried to think of whatever possibility that would have to make me peak around one the other side. Then that's when I heard a female's voice.

"Ahh~ Sakamaki san~."

My heart felt like it was gonna burst. No way. Just what have I walked in on. No no. Maybe there's a misunderstanding. Just maybe.

Then I heard a male's voice.

"Fufufu~ you're quite lewd for a librarian."

I quickly put my hand over my mouth to keep myself from freaking out. That was definitely Laito. No mistaking it.

My goodness! Just what is going on?! He shouldn't be doing those kinds of things to someone in such a public place. Especially a school of all places. He truly has no morals. Aren't they worried someone might come in here?! But then again, classes are over for today, so mostly everyone has went home by now. Unfortunately for me, I would be one of the students that didn't go straight home and just so happen to stumble upon this lustful tryst.

"S-sakamaki san~ I shouldn't be here. I have to...Mhmm...g-go back to the desk up front...I think I heard someone come in..."

I heard Laito chuckle softly at the girl's worry.

"So what if they did come in. I think it'd be more fun if they were to catch you in such a position. Maybe it'd be more exciting if they joined~."

My legs were quivering like crazy, I thought I'd pass out from how light headed I was feeling.

I needed to get outta here. Fast. I couldn't take anymore of this. It was absolutely vulgar and such horrid behavior.

Right when I tried to back away, I managed to knock over a stack of books making a lot of noise. I looked at the mess I made and hated myself immediately for the loud noise it made. Clearly they heard it. That became more evident when I heard the girl squeal in surprise and horror.

"See! I knew someone was in here! Oh no. Im going to get in trouble. I was only suppose to cover for the main librarian today."

Before either one of them could see me, I thankfully made it to the door and ran like my life depended on it. I ran real fast through the halls and all the way down stairs until I made it outside at the entrance.

With my body hunched over, hands on my knees and my bag in my hand, I took deep breaths trying to recollect my thoughts on what to do after that ordeal. I'm not sure how I can even sleep after that. I cannot believe that something like this happened on my first day here. This isn't something someone like me can just sweep under the rug. I'm not unfamiliar with sex. I mean I know what it is and what it entails but its meant to be an intimate physical bond and done out of love and care for the person, to be done with patience and tenderness. That just seemed so full of filthy lust and nothing more.

I stood up straight after catching my breath and looked up at the school debating if I should even come back tomorrow or not.

Right when I was about to look away from the school, I saw in the window somebody standing there. Not just a somebody, it was Laito. My heart almost stopped at his sudden appearance. All he did was smile smugly and gave a little innocent wave at me.

I swallowed, hard and quickly ran out of the school gates to head home. He knew it was me. He knew. He knew.

I practically broke my key trying to hurry inside the house. I was still in absolute disbelief about what went on at school. I felt like I had to either tell someone or keep it to myself.

I leaned against the door once I got inside and dropped my bag on the floor.

"Okay. Okay, calm down Hiyori. I'm home and fine. What I saw had nothing to do with me. Its not like I'm gonna tell anyone. Its none of my business. Not my concern."

While I was trying to collect myself, a sudden sound at the door startled me back to my senses. It was the door knob. Dad was home. That's right. He said he was gonna be home around the time I got home.

Okay. Now I have to look like I had a great time at school and not act like a nervous wreck.

I fixed my hair and patted down my uniform. Running away like that had me completely frazzled.

I stepped away further from the door, then picked up my bag and the door opened.

"Hiyori I'm home and I got dinner. Oh you just got here?"

I nodded frantically with a smile. More like forced. I was so desperately trying to push out what I saw in that library. It felt impossible but I have to relax and show dad that everything went well today. What can I tell him that'll calm me down and assure him.

Yui! That's right, I can tell him about Yui. Even when she isn't here, she's a saving grace.

"Yeah I just got here. What you have there for dinner?"

Dad held up a bag that clearly had fried chicken in it.

When I saw the bucket of chicken, I felt all my worries melt away from my body. Fried chicken was my favorite. Oh Dad, you just don't know how thrilled you just made me.

"Now how about we sit down and eat while you tell me about your first day at night school."

After setting up the table and digging in, Dad jumped straight into the topic. He looked so eager to know and was so hopeful that I'd tell him something good.

"So sweetie, how was school?"

With a piece of chicken in my hand, I happily told him of my experience at school today. Minus the library incident.

"Well, I met my homeroom teacher Ms Nakayama who happens to be very kind and patient. Then I met a girl named Yui Komori and Dad she's so sweet. I think heaven sent her to me. Oh and the students I have class with are pretty nice as far as I know and I have a few classes with Yui. I almost forgot to mention..."

My Dad held up his hands signaling me to slow down and stop.

"Whoa whoa honey. Slow down. You're on a roll. I would've never thought I'd see you so...excited like this. And about school. I haven't seen you this energetic since your school play in grade school."

I gave my dad a playful glare.

"Dad...I played a grandfather clock."

Dad gave a hearty laugh and gulped down the rest of his beer.

"But you were so cute and excited. So this Yui girl seems to be responsible for my daughter's sudden change in mood?"

Nodding, I took a big bite out of my chicken and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"I haven't known her long, but we had plenty to talk about. We enjoy reading in our spare time and we both love to cook. She is very nice, but something seems odd about her. Like...she's different."

Dad frowned at my sudden change of description of her.

"Different?"

I looked down into my lap and twiddled my fingers.

"Yeah. I mean she just seems so...mysterious. I don't know. Just a gut feeling but I'm sure its nothing. Forget I said anything."

I perked up again and looked up at Dad.

He didn't look too satisfied by me dropping the topic like that, but he didn't push it any further.

"Well, I'm glad that you had a good day today. Truly. I was so worried Hiyori. You're always to yourself, you don't go out, and you are always to forever to make sure that I'm okay and not worried about yourself."

Dad noticed how surprised I looked and laughed.

"Don't look so shocked. I know that you've been trying to cope for my sake, but Hiyori listen. You don't have to pretend to be okay. You don't have to try hard for me. I'm sorry if I've ever seemed like I was pressuring you into making friends but that was never my goal. I want you to be happy doing whatever **you** feel will make you truly happy. How you choose to do that is entirely up to you and I will be behind you 100%. Promise."

I kept my head down to keep him from seeing my teary face. I clearly underestimated Dad. I thought I was hiding my worry for him very well. I smiled when he told me all those times he wouldn't be home for dinner, I smiled when he told me that he'd be gone for a few days. I smiled when he told me that he was okay. I smiled and believed him whenever he told me he wasn't too tired to play with me. Was that the giveaway? Was that what I was doing wrong? Of course it was. What child constantly smiles like that and never sheds a tear at such times like that. I knew my Dad was tired and I wanted him to sleep for as long as he wanted. I **was** sad that he wasn't at home as much as I wanted him to be. I was even mad at him for not being able to keep his promises and make it home for the dinner I put my heart and soul into preparing. But then I told myself that I had no right to be angry and selfish like that. I knew how hard my Dad was working for us. For me.

As I thought about all of this, my face became so wet with tears. I hadn't even realized that I was crying. I reached up and wiped my face with a fresh napkin.

"Dad...I'm sorry. You're right. I was and still am grateful for all you've been doing for me but...there were times where I was selfish. I was mad at you for breaking promises, I was sad whenever you couldn't come home and enjoy the food I took the time to prepare for you, I even wanted to yell at you when you couldn't make it to my first day at Ryoutei. But I couldn't. I didn't have the right to complain when you have given so much to me."

My Dad stood up from his seat and knelt at my side.

"Hiyori, I'm so glad you told me how you were truly feeling. Its okay if you want to complain and be upset with me. I regret breaking those promises and making you eat alone. Things will be better now. We'll spend more time together for sure."

I looked my Dad in the eye and I didn't see a tiny bit of uncertainty at that promise. But still...

"Dad. Even if we aren't able to soon, there's always later. Its not that I don't believe you, just know that I'll be patient with you, as you have been with me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

After that, we both cleaned up the table and got ready for bed.

After I finished my bath and put on my sleeping clothes, I told my Dad goodnight and headed to bed myself.

I couldn't immediately fall asleep though even though I got everything off my chest tonight at dinner. I know exactly why. It was because of Laito and that girl at school. I just couldn't erase that from my memory. My biggest concern was how I was going to look Laito in the face after catching him in such a tryst. I mean we do have one class together, thankfully its only one class. Despite how much I'm pulling my hair out about it, Laito didn't seem so bothered. In fact, he was quite amused when I last saw him waving me a goodbye in the window before I ran home. That Laito, even when we first met in class, I just felt uneasy around him. Goodness that perverted, vulgar, no moral having boy. I wanted to feel bad about the rude things I said about a person that I don't know that well at all, but I had no reason as to why that wouldn't be true.

Sighing, I tossed and turned until I was able to fall asleep. Before I deeply fell into my slumber, I saw a brilliant pair of sharp green eyes and then I finally dozed off.


	3. Chapter 3

I wake up at the loud ringing of my alarm clock and I reached over and hit the button shutting it up. With the sun shining in my room almost blinding me, I sit up in bed and stretch my arms high above my head while letting a loud groan escape my lips. After waking up, I get up out of bed and head straight to the bathroom. I head to the kitchen and make me a light breakfast of some eggs, toast and an orange.

After freshening up and eating, I laid out in the living room on the couch trying to figure out what to do until I go to school later this evening. Dad was already gone but he did leave me a note and some money. He told me Good morning and that he had given me a little pocket money. I rarely use my allowance on anything because there isn't much of anything that I want. So I usually just put it up, use it for groceries or other necessities.

I flipped on the TV to see what was on and it was your usual sit-coms and your latest news mixed in with the juiciest gossip on celebrities. The one topic I've been seeing a lot of lately, was of a man named Tougo Sakamaki. Apparently, he was quite the powerful political figure in Japan and was very well known. I got a little curious and left it on the channel.

They showed him being interviewed by a talk show host the night before. He was quite handsome and well spoken.

 _"So Sakamaki sama, there is a rumor going around that you may be our next Vice president. How do you address this?"_

 _"Haha well, the assumption is rather flattering itself. However, I'm not sure if even I can be fitting for such a position."_

 _"I think everyone here begs to differ sir. There's also something else. Sakamaki sama, you also are quite the bachelor. Is there anyone special in your life?"_

 _"Hmm...I'll just say this, I_ _ **am**_ _interested in finding someone but I've had no such luck."_

 _"You hear that ladies and gentlemen, Sakamaki sama is on the market."_

With the host's comment, there was a roar of laughter and whistles coming from the audience. Clearly he was very popular and from what I'm seeing, he has every right in being so well liked. His name was Tougo Sakamaki...Sakamaki...

I frowned and tapped the remote on my leg trying to figure out where I heard that name before. Wherever I heard it, I knew that it would come back to me soon.

I sat up from the couch to try and find something to do to pass time quicker. I remembered that I had some flower seed packets I bought a few weeks ago and figured I'd plant them today out front. Dad and I were gonna plant them together in flower pots and take them to Mom's grave. I know that we can just buy flowers at the store, but I really wanted to put in an effort in my present for her.

I made sure I grabbed everything that I needed to start. The pots, the seeds, my gloves, towel, and tiny shovel.

Stepping outside, I covered my face with my hand feeling the harsh light from the sun. It wasn't too hot but it was definitely too warm for my liking. I honestly hated summer. The heat was just not a friend of mine. Some people worshipped summer, seeing how its the season for fun in the sun. Not me. Fall was my season. Not too cold, those lovely multicolor leaves, and the nice autumn breeze that accompanied it. I can handle cold weather, rather than scorching heat.

Just as I made my way towards the front, I spotted a ton of dry dead weeds. Its definitely been a long while since either of us had tended to the yard. The grass looked as if it hadn't been cut in years. It was just thick and untreated.

"Oh well. I guess a little work out won't hurt."

I rolled my shoulders and got to work.

Pulling weed after weed, I started to eventually sweat bullets. Taking my towel, I roughly wipe my face. I hated sweating, it felt so gross. Now I have to get in the shower again. Despite how hard I was working, it barely looked as if I put a dent in it. Dad and I are usually always too busy or tired to do any work inside or outside the house. Its only normal that our residence would be in such an unkept state.

"This is gonna take forever!"

Totally exhausted, I laid out on my back in the thick grass and took a big breath. Work out, I took a short break looking up at the sky. I managed to snag some shade under a little tree in our yard. Minus the sun, the sky was blue and it felt really nice out. If you're in shade that is.

"Looks like someone needs some help."

I jumped up from my position and looked in the direction I heard the voice come from.

It was a boy that was smiling down at me from over our wall. The boy was quite attractive. In a boyishly cute way. He had curly brown hair, dark brown almond shaped eyes, and that smile was so innocent looking you'd think he was the definition of a saint.

Just because he looked cute, doesn't mean that was gonna excuse him from scaring me like that. I laid my hand over my heart and gave a pouty frown. The guy put his hands up defensively and lightly chuckled.

"Now now, I'm sorry for startling you like that, but I couldn't help but come on over after seeing you struggling with your yard."

I looked around at the yard and couldn't help but agree. I mean yeah its a lot of work, but I can do it. Its just gonna take a while. Which is more than fine considering that I needed time to go by quickly until school tonight. I looked at the boy and didn't know what to say to him. Being socially awkward sucks. I can't even muster up the courage to say hello. Well, It wouldn't hurt to try to say something. Anything. I stood up and dusted myself off.

Looking down at the ground, I sighed.

"Um yeah. Its a lot."

The boy, still smiling, made his way closer to the entrance of the front.

"Not much of a talker? Well if its alright with you, I'd like to help. May I come in?"

Hesitating for a bit, I walked towards the gate and unlocked it. As he came inside, he observed the work I had done so far and nodded.

"With two more hands, we can get this done in no time. By the way, the names Yusuke, Nanaba Yusuke. Nice to meet you."

He held his hand out and I took it.

"Hiyori Yamaguchi. Um, I have an extra pair of gloves."

 _ **Few hours later**_

Yusuke and I worked for hours out front and even managed to plant the flower seeds and set up the pots with fresh soil in them. Afterwards, the weeds got bagged and tossed in the garbage with all the other dead things in the yard. Yusuke was kind enough to mow the lawn while I raked up the grass after.

Once we were done with everything, I decided to invite him in as thanks and treat him to some snacks. I put some mini cakes on a plate and poured some freshly brewed tea to along with them. We sat down and talked about a few things. He told me that he was a student at Ryoutei Academy as well but due to personal reasons, he was going to be absent for a while. I didn't ask any further because he clearly didn't want to get into detail about it to someone he just met not too long ago. I told him how I just started there and that it was a bit off of my usual routine.

"So Hiyori, how was your first day there? It took me a few weeks actually to get use to it."

Sipping my tea, I wondered.

"Few weeks? Was it that difficult getting use to?"

Yusuke laughed and shook his head.

"Not at all. I just got so use to sleeping the whole day away, that I damn near didn't want to get up once it was time to go."

We both shared laughs and continued chatting. Which actually surprised me at how easy I was able to talk to him. I mean it was calm and relaxing with Yui, but with Yusuke, It felt more...fun.

I patted my mouth clean after eating a cake.

"So Yusuke, do you live around here?"

"I do. I was actually just taking a walk since it was kinda nice out. I enjoy a little warmth."

Sighing, I shook my head in disagreement

"The heat and I are worse enemies. I just can't stand sweating."

Yusuke laughed nodding.

"I can definitely tell by how you were laid out in the grass earlier that you weren't so friendly with summer."

As I was laughing at his remark, I heard some noise at the front door. Was Dad home? Time really passed by pretty quick.

Oh no. Wait. I didn't even think about this scenario. I'm home alone with a boy and my Dad is about to walk through the door. Isn't this gonna seem sketchy to him.

"My dad's home. I didn't realize what time it was."

The front door opened and I was greeted with a happy hello.

"Hiyori I'm home. I'll be able to go to school with you today to finish those papers. Did you cook din-...?"

Yusuke and I stood up. I was a bit awkward about it and smiled in my dad's direction and went to immediately explain.

"Hi Dad. This a friend. Well I mean, like I met him just a few hours ago. He isn't a stranger. Well I guess in a sense he is, but not a bad stranger. He helped me with the yard today and I decided to thank him by inviting him in and giving him a snack and drink."

My dad wide eyed at how quick I was able to spout out all of that in one go, did nothing but laugh at my rushed explanation. I glanced at Yusuke and even he was laughing. I felt my face burn in embarrassment and just stood there.

"Hiyori you don't have to worry. I trust you. So how about you introduce me to your friend."

I relaxed a bit and introduced the two.

"Dad this is Yusuke. Like I said not too long ago, he helped me with the yard. Yusuke this is my Dad."

Yusuke approached my dad with his hand held out.

"Nice to meet you sir. I hope you don't mind me in your home."

Dad shook his hand firmly and dismissed his comment.

"Not at all. Thank you for helping my daughter today. She sometimes over does it."

I sheepishly rolled my eyes.

"Daaad don't say that..."

"Hiyori I was gonna ask, did you cook dinner?"

My jaw dropped as I had forgotten to cook dinner for him tonight.

"Oh sorry Dad. I kinda got sidetracked."

I took a glance at Yusuke and playfully glared. Yusuke looked jokingly offended and held his chest.

"You're blaming me? How could you."

Yusuke sure does have a good sense of humor. I can appreciate that greatly. The three of us talked for a short while longer and then Yusuke had to go back home. Yusuke said his goodbyes promising to see me again. Today sure was eventful and I enjoyed every bit of it.

"Hiyori are you ready?"

I grabbed my bag and hurried out my room after hearing my dad calling out to me. Not before doing a full once over in the mirror.

"Yeah dad I'm ready."

Dad and I made our way out the door and onwards to school.

"Dad what did you want for dinner tonight?"

Before my dad could answer me, his cellphone began to ring.

"Sweetie I'm sorry, let me answer this real quick."

Dad seems busier now, even though its only his second day. I wonder if it's really that intense working in politics. As I've said before, I never asked exactly what it is my dad does, but there are times that I get curious. I always told myself that as long as its a fair legit job, I didn't think I'd need to know the details. Dad even said that he'd tell me if I was genuinely curious about it but he also said that he didn't want to bore me to death with the details. I didn't think I'd be bored but if its not that big of a deal, then I guess I can hold off on not knowing for the time being. As long as his hours aren't overwhelming him, then I'll be content.

While I was deep thought, Dad had just finished his phone call and we had already made it to school. I noticed that Dad's mood seemed to have turned dull.

"Dad, everything okay?"

Dad shook his head and smiled sadly.

"Looks like I have to go back to work. So no need to worry about dinner for me tonight."

I wasn't surprised in the slightest. I knew as soon as he answered that phone call, that it was gonna be bad news right after he hung up. It didn't brother me though. It was fine because we sat down and ate together the night before, so it was okay. I patted Dad on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"Its okay. We'll be able to have a home cooked meal together one day soon I'm sure. So are you leaving as soon as you finish the paper work at school?"

He dipped his head somberly still upset at his sudden call in from work.

"Yeah. I'm not sure when I'll be home, so you don't have to wait up for me."

Giving him the okay, we both walked up to the entrance and went inside.

I pointed my Dad in the direction of where the Office was and went on my way to class.

There weren't that many students in class yet, I must've been really early. I looked at the clock and saw that I was a whole 30minutes early. The only ones that are usually here this early, are teachers or students that have extra curricular activities. I walked over to my desk and sat down in my seat trying to figure out what to do by the time class starts. Then it hit me.

Jumping up out of my seat while leaving my things behind, I darted towards the library. I had totally forgotten to grab the book I needed for my Literature class. So much was going on, that it had completely slipped my mind. Its been a long while since I had gotten a little careless with school. As I ran, I saw a few teachers up ahead and slowed down my pace not wanting to get scolded, then as soon as I passed them, I picked up my pace a bit more.

Breathing lightly, I waited outside the library hesitating on going inside. The memory of what happened on my first day flashed back to me. What if I come across the same situation again. Oh that'd be a horrible repeat of that scenario.

I reached for the door and slid it open. It was just as empty as it was when I came in here the first time. Slowly walking in and looking around, I started to call out. I want to say that was my first mistake before, if I had called out, then perhaps I could've avoided that unfortunate circumstance.

"Um hello? Anyone here? I need some help locating a certain genre."

I walked up and down the aisles while peaking around each and every corner. I didn't want to be too loud and disturbing but I also wanted someone to hear me. As I turned at one of the corners, I noticed that it was an isolated area. There was only a large table and a few chairs around it. I can definitely see how this section is for studying. They probably have more areas like this in the library. Its surely big enough.

That wasn't the only thing I saw. Someone was there by one of the bookshelves. It was a guy, I couldn't see his face because his back was to me. I began to walk up to him, but before I could even take a step, he turned around and gave me such a cold glare. I stayed still as a stick and felt myself holding my breath. We both were just looking at each other until he ended the silence.

"So you're the one causing all that noise. Honestly, you do know that this is a library. Such behavior isn't tolerated here."

I stood there surprised at his harsh tone with me. I wanted to say something, but I felt that whatever I said to him, it would've been a slap in the face. Now that I look closely, I see that its one of the boys from that limo. He already seemed intimidating from far away but I'm at least a couple feet from him and I feel like I'm choking on my on breath just by being so close to him. Despite feeling like I'm gonna pass out, I still wanted to apologize for possibly disturbing him.

"I'm sorry. I-It wasn't my intention to bother you. I was just looking for the section that carries romantic tragedies."

The boy still continued to scowl at me and I instinctively took a step back.

"N-nevermind...um I'll just go and find it on my own..."

Before I could leave, he spoke.

"Whether it was your intention or not to bother me, you still did so. However, since I want you away from me as soon as possible, I'll tell you where you can find that genre. Leave this area and look to your right."

I bowed and thanked him then took my leave posthaste. Goodness gracious almighty. My heart is gonna just jump out of my chest at this rate. Why is it that every boy that I've met from that limo so far, has been nothing but rude to me. Laito and Kanato pretty much mocked me, Ayato compared my assets so openly to Yui in the hallway embarrassing me to the core, and this dark and mysterious guy with glasses spoke to me in such a cold and harsh manner I could barely inhale and exhale in his presence.

Once I was sure I was out of his sight, I leaned against one of the shelves and closed my eyes trying to come back to my senses.

Now he said it was to my right. I looked and I saw a label with ROM/TRAG on it and relief took over me. It felt like I had been going through the hardest of tasks just to locate this book. I looked up and down the shelf and picked up a book titled _**Anna Karenina.**_ I kinda didn't care what book I grabbed, I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I know that I have to check it out with the librarian, but I'd just have to do that later. I looked at the clock before I left and I had 15 minutes left to spare. I wasn't going to stay in the library that's for sure.

With the book hugged to my body, I started walking back to the classroom. I felt absolutely exhausted.

As I was walking, I had my head down feeling as if I was gonna pass out any second from stress. Then all of a sudden, someone snatched my book out of my arms.

Before I could react, I saw that the person who took my book, was a soft haired red head wearing a stylish fedora. It was the very person I did not want to see at that moment. If not at all for the rest of my school year here. He was surely someone that I was not expecting.

He stopped right in front of me with a handsome grin on his face. Laito started flipping through the pages of the book he stole from me, even occasionally turning the book over checking out the front and back.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A bit of a scandalous taste you have.~"

My face grew hot almost immediately. The first thing that flashed through my mind was of what happened in the library. I turned my head away, completely flustered. I needed to get back to class. I don't have time for his playfulness right now. It was very hard trying to muster up the courage in talking to him. I couldn't explain how he was making me feel but I just didn't want to feel it anymore.

"L-laito san...c-could I please...h-have my book back?"

Laito gave me a teasing smile as if he was up to something. He then put his finger on his lip as if he was in deep thought about something.

Tapping his finger on his lip, he held the book up above us so that it was right between us. Kinda like a mistletoe.

"Hmmm~. I've just come up with a game. Play it with me, and I might just give this book back to you."

Was he serious? I had to get back to class in just a few minutes and he wants to joke around. I have never been late for class before, and I wasn't about to start now. He noticed me hesitating and shrugged his shoulders.

"Is that a no? Well then I guess I'll just keep this little book of yours..."

He began walking off but I called out to him stopping him in his tracks. I didn't want to "play", but it felt like it took me forever to get a hold of that book for class and I was not about to lose it this easily. The faster I agree, the quicker I can get my book back before class.

Somewhat fuming, I nodded my head.

Laito wagged his finger playfully and leaned his ear towards me.

"Ehhh~, Say it. Say, 'Yes I want to play with you Laito san'~."

I started shuffling my feet and blushing a whole brighter shade of red than before. This is beyond embarrassing.

"Y-yes...I want t-to play with you L-laito san."

Clearly satisfied with my submission, he laid both of his hands on my shoulders and guided me to the nearest wall. I resisted for a second by trying to keep him from trapping me between himself and the wall but to no avail. Feeling my back against the wall, I got the deepest of chills coursing through my body. My legs began to quiver and I would have fell to my knees had he not been holding me so tightly against the wall.

Laito dropped the book on the floor and pressed himself into my mid section. He got so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. My face was so hot from blushing that it hurt. He was so close that I got to further inspect his face. I saw that he a few piercings in his ears and a cute beauty mark below his mouth. Not that I was interested in him or anything, but that was quite a cute feature on him. There was also something very strange I noticed. Laito was so close to me that I thought I'd get more warm than I already was at the moment but he was deathly cold. I felt no heat radiating from his body.

While trying to figure out such an odd phenomenon, it had dawned on me that we were in the hallway! Its still early so not that many people are wandering around, but there's still a chance that someone will stumble upon us in such an position. I put my hands on his chest and tried pushing him away, but it was like shoving at a brick wall. I know that I'm not the strongest person in the world, but this guy just wasn't budging at all. He was so close, that I thought he was trying to kiss me, so I turned my face away. Only to have Laito roughly snatch my chin and turn me back to face him. His eyes seemed to have glowed, making his green eyes sparkle like emeralds in excitement. Yet at the same time, they looked very threatening.

"You said you'd play. Don't go back on your word."

Feeling him pressing himself deeper into me, I tried to speak up.

"But Laito, we're in the hallway! Please stop!"

Chuckling darkly, he zeroed in on my face, our noses were now touching.

"Do you have any idea how inviting you're sounding right now~."

His head made its way towards the side of my neck and then something wet and warm glided across my skin. That sudden sensation sent a jolt of shock through my entire body. Laito must've thought that I had enjoyed that sick move of his, and let out a sensual moan.

"You're loving this aren't you?"

His voice was different than his usual cheerful tone. It was huskier and had such a lustful sound to it. Kinda like when I, unfortunately, heard him and that girl in the library together. While I spaced out for a short time, I felt his knee slowly try to pry its way in between my legs. That's when I had had enough.

I was utterly speechless with what was currently going on. I had no idea what he was trying to do, but whatever it was, I wanted him to stop.

"Laito...stop it!"

Then a loud slap carried right after that. I had never hit anyone before, there was never a reason to. But this boy, he was pushing buttons I didn't even know I had.

Laito took a few steps back and held his cheek. He stood there quiet for a second and then I, on a whim, wanted to apologize.

"Oh no...I'm sorry that I hit you like that! But you shouldn't do things like that! Does your cheek hurt..."

As I was rambling, I saw his small smile upturn into a wider smile, and then he had a full on belly laugh. He thought that was funny? What's with this guy? Maybe he has a few lose screws in his head. After he was done with his laughing fit, he stared at me with such lust in his eyes. He was blushing and sighing as if he was on a animalistic carnal high.

"Ah~, you're really entertaining. I haven't met anyone this fun since bitch chan~."

Bitch chan? What kind of nickname was that? Could he be talking about Yui? I did hear him address her as such when we first met in class. I didn't say anything about it because I was thrown off guard by the uncomfortable atmosphere they carried around them.

I bent down and picked up my book from the floor and held it even tighter to my chest just in case he snatched it from me again. Without even thinking about it, I started speed walking to class. As I was trying to walk pass him, he grabbed me from behind wrapping his arms around me, with his head on the side of mine.

"Instead of peeping, why not try joining next time~"

My breath got caught in my throat and I went to turn around to fully face him, only to find him gone without a trace. It was as if he disappeared from thin air. I looked left and right to see if maybe he had darted into a near by room, but nothing showed any evidence of that.

With my book in my arms, instead of walking this time, I ran as moderately paced as I could and made it to my classroom.

Right when I put my foot through the threshold, the bell rang. I had barely made it just by the skin of my teeth.

Clearly a tired mess, I somewhat casually made my way to my seat. The first person I noticed was Laito simply sitting there as if all was normal.

How did he get here so fast? Maybe there was a secret passageway or something that was hidden on that floor. Running my hand over my face trying not to think about it, I quickly made my way to my seat.

Kanato was just quietly sitting there staring at his teddy bear on his desk. Yui, clearly wondering where I was, saw how exhausted I appeared and she leaned over to me with curiosity written all over her face.

"Hiyori, are you okay? You look a bit...worn out. Did something happen?"

Sighing, I took a quick side glance at Laito and he simply winked at me, followed by a promising smile. It was so hard for me to not shriek back in my seat away from him. Of course it was pointless, considering that he was seated right next to me. He was still sporting that red mark on his cheek. A part of me felt bad, but another part of me was glad that I hit him. I don't care how popular he may be with the girls at this school, I'm not gonna be treated in such a vulgar way.

I then turned to Yui and whispered.

"Oh nothing. I just had a little trouble finding a book for my next class later. I was almost late that's all."

Yui obviously wasn't buying it. She was genuinely concerned about me and I was really touched. Other than my Dad, no one really showed such a care for me. I didn't want to get into detail about it now, class was about to start. I also wanted to reassure her as well.

Before I could say anything else to her, the teacher came in.

I leaned in to Yui and quickly said,

"I'll tell you everything on break."

Yui nodded slightly and I gave her an okay.

I'll definitely tell her. There is too much on my mind at the moment and too much has happened to me at this school so far. I needed to vent before I exploded.


	4. Chapter 4

Getting up from my seat after the bell rang for break, I stretched my arms high above my head and gathered my things.

Yui and I were gonna hang out in the courtyard during break. I had a lot of things to tell her and to also ask her about those boys she's well acquainted with. I'm not expecting all of my questions to be answered, but just a little will help. I mean I shouldn't really care about those guys but seeing as how I'm gonna be hanging out with Yui often, there's a high chance that I'm gonna be seeing them more than often.

That is something that I don't want.

Yui said she wanted to meet by the lockers, so I was aiming to go straight there. No distractions.

I was quite thrilled about Yui and I finally hanging out today. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I made my way to our planned location. Seriously though, Yui's such a delight to be around. I feel content and in such a state of complete happiness in her presence. However someone such as her ended up in a situation where she'd be associating herself with those rude, immoral boys is beyond me.

Whoever those boys are, they are very popular at this school. Every time one of them enters a room, it goes dead silent and people just gawk at them like they're the living end. I can understand that everyone here is curious about them, and that they are indeed quite the lookers, but I can't help but feel like they're too dangerous to be around. I mean I've met Laito, Kanato, Ayato and the boy with glasses, and they were all just...jerks. I bet if everyone at this school knew how they truly were, they'd still be drooling over them. Well I'm only speaking of the boys I've come into contact with. There was more of them I know for sure. I saw six boys that evening at the entrance, I've only met four. Just thinking about how the other two are, makes my whole body tremble.

I made it to the lockers already seeing Yui there. Hoping that she didn't wait too long, I ran over to her and she lit up.

"Yui hi. You weren't waiting too long I hope?"

Yui shook her head with a full smile on her face.

"Hey Hiyori. No I didn't wait long at all don't worry. Oh and I was thinking of a change in plans."

I raised my eyebrow curiously.

"A change? You want to go somewhere else?"

Giving me a lopsided grin, she giggled.

"Well we have about 40 minutes for break and I thought it'd be better to talk and show you around the school. I doubt we'll be able to see all of it but I'll show you the main spots."

I nodded clearly overly eager for that idea.

"I don't mind at all. Two birds with one stone after all."

I told Yui that I wanted to talk to her about some things and she more than happily agreed to offer her ear. I wondered if Yui and I were in the same boat. With having no friends and all. When I first saw Yui, her face seemed void of emotion and she appeared so very lonely. Excluding those boys company of course. I doubt she had any other companions other than them and just thinking about it, was making me feel bad for her. I then thought back to before with how those female students treated her. The things they said about her without even trying to be discreet about it was just appalling. Now don't get me wrong, you don't bad mouth anyone even if its behind their backs but to do it while she was within earshot was just outright mean. I wasn't gonna let those negative vibes of those students taint Yui's and I time together though. I buried those thoughts in the back of my mind and focused on our time together.

Yui started by taking me to the cafeteria and showed me all of their delicious food options. The food here was most definitely top notch. I haven't eaten from the cafeteria yet because I usually just make my own lunch but man. These selections were a foodie's guilty pleasure.

Yui laughed at me for practically drooling like a dog over the food.

Next we went to check out the clubs that were the most popular.

"Yui you're not interested in joining a club? You seem to like Drama and it'd be fitting for you."

Yui shook her head and blushed so modestly.

"Oh no no. I mean...it'd be nice if I were to get into a club but I just...don't really have time."

Yui gave me a half hearted chuckle and changed the subject.

"Besides, Hiyori I think you'd love the cooking club. I saw what you bring for lunch and I'd love to try your food someday."

I gave Yui a shocked look and pointed at her.

"You make a way better lunch than me. That fried chicken looked amazing. I should've asked you for one."

Since we didn't have a lot of time left, Yui and I made our way to the courtyard and sat down on the grass. The courtyard was nice, quiet and seemed like it'd be a great place for us to have lunch here.

I noticed that we were pretty much alone and I felt this would be the perfect time to talk to her. Yui must've been reading my mind because she was the one to bring it up.

"What is it you wanted to talk about Hiyori?"

Even though I was the one that wanted to vent to Yui about this, I felt myself hesitating about what I was about to say. Not only that, but I just didn't know where to start with this conversation.

Twiddling my thumbs, I looked at her and sighed heavily. Instead of just talking about what happened with Laito, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.

"Is Ayato your boyfriend?"

My sudden question made Yui's eye widen and blush while looking at her hands in her lap. I regretted immediately. It was none of my business but I didn't want to make her more uncomfortable with that thing with Laito. So I hurriedly changed the question.

"As a matter of fact, you don't have to answer that! What I meant to say was, uh...those boys that you're with...like are they your friends? I mean if they are I'm not judging! I was just really curious...I don't mean anything by it I swear! I mean I was...um...I don't know anymore. Ehehe..."

I was making myself look like an idiot. No, more of an idiot. She's probably so eager to get away from me. I've probably, no, I'm **sure** that I've offended her. I looked at her and saw that she wasn't in the slightest, fazed by my blabbering nonsense.

Yui only smiled and grabbed my twitching hands.

"If you're curious, then I'll tell you. Yes. Ayato and I are...together. I also wanted to apologize for how Ayato acted when he met you. He's just...like that. But I promise you, that he's not as bad as he seems. He's actually quite sweet."

Giving Yui a puzzled expression, I raised an eyebrow and rubbed my forehead.

"How he behaved yesterday was sweet?"

Yui shrugged while running her hand through the grass.

"Well to be more exact, he shows his soft side to me. He's not nice but at the same time he is."

I nodded understanding bit by bit.

"Just to you. Right. Yui can you tell me what your relationship is with those boys, that I'm assuming you're living with, is?"

Yui sighed while looking off into space. At first I thought she didn't want to tell me, but then she turned to me and offered a smile.

"I am living with them but only due to...certain circumstances. Those boys are all brothers. The Sakamaki's."

Both of my eyebrows rose in surprise. I mean, they look nothing alike. Other than Ayato and Laito obviously being twins but the rest of them shared no identical features. But there's no telling what their father or mother looked like. Perhaps each brother gained a specific feature from a certain relative in their family.  
Then it dawned on me with the last thing she said.

"Wait Yui, did you say Sakamaki?"

Yui nodded and frowned.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

Shaking my head, I denied anything bothering me. Was Tougo Sakamaki their father? No way. That has to be a coincidence. Some people share the same surname, so I can see the possibility of it being just a coincidence.

"Yui my curiosity has been bugging me. Can you tell me a bit about them. I don't want to seem mean but from who I've met so far, they seem...ya know...rude?"

Yui laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Oh no you're right. Well let's see. You've met Kanato, Laito and Ayato. Those three are triplets."

"Triplets?!"

Nodding, Yui continued.

"The other ones are Reji san, Shu san, and Subaru kun. Reji san is kinda in charge of the Sakamaki household and makes sure that everything is in perfect order, Shu san is the eldest of all the brothers yet he doesn't take any responsibility for his role, and Subaru kun. He's very hot tempered but this is between you and me, he's the kindest."

I sat there absorbing everything that she told me. She's living with 6 brothers and it didn't seem like it was your typical living arrangements. I still had a bad feeling in my stomach though. Like she was purposely leaving out something major.

Before I could ask her something else, the bell rang letting us know that our break was over.

My disappointment must've been very apparent because Yui laughed and put her hand on top of mine.

"Don't worry Hiyori. How about we continue after school?"

We both stood up and patted our skirts of any dirt or whatever else that may have been on them. Yui and I were about to make our way inside when I saw a boy with white hair steadily approach us. He had such a scowl on his as if someone had made him angry just a second ago.

Yui and I halted right where we were and waited until the boy stood right in front of us. The boy looked at me and then turned his angry gaze on Yui. Then out of nowhere he grabbed her arm and began pulling her away.

"Where the hell have you been! We're going home."

Yui, clearly caught off guard, began trying to talk to the boy.

"S-subaru! What's happening? Why do we have to go home early?"

So this was Subaru.

He appeared overly eager to leave with her but I couldn't just sit back and let Yui be treated this way. I didn't even think about it. I reached out my hand and grabbed Yui by her hand, stopping the boy from taking her away so forcefully.

I swear, the look he gave me was pure overkill. Petrified, I was tempted to let Yui go after being glared down like that but all I did was tighten my grip.

"I-I don't care if you look at me like that! Let her go!"

It was like playing tug of war, but there was no rope in between us, only a Yui. I didn't appreciate how these boys were treating her. Like she was some kind of object to be dragged around. First it was Ayato and now its Subaru. I was terrified out of my wits but Yui was my friend and I'll be damned if she gets hurt because they don't know what being gentle meant.

"I don't have time for this shit!"

Subaru snatched Yui out of my grasp and pulled her behind him.

But I didn't stop there. I wasn't going to give in that easily. I reached and grabbed her hand again and squeezed.

"Well y-you better make time. Yui's my friend and I don't appreciate you pulling her around like some doll. Would it kill you to at least ask her first!"

I yelled out without even thinking about it. My face was red and my eyes were closed. I just didn't want to see the outcome to my little outburst. Then that's when I heard Yui's voice.

"Hiyori...thank you. I know you're worried, but I assure you, that I'll be fine. Believe me."

I opened my eyes and saw Yui's pleasant smile. She squeezed my hand back and I reluctantly let her go. Despite what she said about Subaru, I didn't see a single kind thing about him. He was clearly pushy, rough, hot tempered and just as rude as the others. And yet, she didn't look a tiny bit scared of either of him nor any of the other brothers. I guess I just had to believe her.

Subaru looked me right in my eye and scoffed.

"You're just as fucking annoying as she is."

I frowned trying to figure out just what did he mean by that.

After that Subaru began pulling her away and they went on their way. Not before I saw Yui reaching into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. She then purposely dropped it on the ground and gave me a wave. After she and Subaru were out of sight, I walked over to the piece of paper and picked it up.

Unfolding it, it read...

 _"I wanted to give you my number to keep in touch. Call me when you can. I hope for us to be friends if that's alright with you._

 _601-xxx-xxxx"_

Feeling my heart swell, I stuffed the paper into my pocket and made my way inside the school.

As I was making my way to class, the bell rang, signaling that class has started. To be honest, I didn't even care if I was late. It was so worth it. No one from my previous schools has ever actually wanted to be my friend, let alone had given me their number. I was the one student that every one stayed away from. I was socially awkward, never connected with anyone when I tried and I was considered quite boring. Considering all I did was go to school, go home and read on my free time. Just thinking about how I'd always been alone like that, made me tear up a bit.

I felt tears welling up and quickly wiped my eyes.

I don't want to show up to class being overly emotional but I had no idea that it was gonna affect me like this.

I finally made my way to class. I apologized for being late and gave no excuses. The teacher only told me to make sure that it didn't happen again and to take my seat.

The whole time, I kept thinking about the conversation Yui and I had during break. About the Sakamaki's, her and Ayato, just everything.

The teacher caught me spacing out a few times and asked if I needed to go to the nurses office if something was the matter. I was actually considering feigning illness just to leave class but I was against it. Class was almost over and I'll have plenty of time tomorrow to think about what we talked about.

With school finally over, I made my way home.

As soon as I made it through the door, I took off my shoes and made my way to my room, not before noticing a note laying on the table. I walked over to it and picked it up.

 _"Sorry honey. I won't be home til a bit later. Don't wait up for me. Love you."_

I took the paper and just folded it up, leaving it on the table.

That's fine that he's not coming home. I didn't feel like cooking dinner tonight anyways.

I went to my room and got comfortable. As cute as the uniform is, I was always very relieved to take it off. I know that I haven't been in that school for long, but the ribbons and the thick material was kinda uncomfortable.

After getting into more comfortable clothes, which consisted of a simple spaghetti strap tank top and snug pajama pants. Then I took a rubber band off of my night stand and tied my hair in a ponytail. I then headed towards the kitchen to find something to make for dinner real quick. I wasn't gonna cook, but maybe a nice sandwich would do me good for tonight.

So I made me a nice ham sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and with crackers on the side. I wasn't sleepy yet, so I just went to the living room and sat down on the couch and flipped on the tv. I found a nice sitcom and watched it while eating my sandwich. I didn't really see the point in turning on the TV with a lot on my mind. I was barely paying attention to what was on anyway.

Half way through eating, I realized that I didn't have anything to drink. Sighing, I got up from my seat and headed for the refrigerator to look for some juice or whatever. I searched further towards the back, and saw that there was some fruit juice and went to reach for it.

As I bent over to grab the juice from the back, I sensed an odd presence from behind me and quickly stood upright, only to find that Laito was standing right in my living room.

Shocked, I dropped the juice and it ended up popping open and spilling all over the floor. Despite the unfortunate mess that has just happened on the floor, I only stood still in absolute shock at how this boy ended up in my house. Half of me was trying to figure out how he got into my house, the other half of me was scared to the very bone.

Not knowing what to do or say, I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"Do you...w-want a drink?"

Mentally slapping myself, I blinked furiously and changed my response. He's not a freaking guest, he clearly broke into my house.

"No that's not what I meant to say. Laito, what are you doing here? H-how did you get in my house?"

Laito only smiled at me while adjusting his hat. He was by the couch taking a look at my half eaten sandwich.

"Spending the night alone? Aren't you bored? Because if you are, I can come up with many ways for us to turn this into an exciting night."

Visibly surprised by his sudden intrusion, I tried to ignore him and decided to focus more on the mess I made. Bending down, I picked up the now empty container and tossed it in the bin. I stood up again to find a towel to wipe up the massive spill, only to find Laito mere inches from me. Its as if he teleported or something. A similar thing happened with him in the hallway with me earlier at school. One minute we were on the same floor with each other and the next minute he ended up in class way before me. Curious and surprised at the same time, I couldn't help but ask.

"How do you keep doing that?"

Laito clearly amused by my sudden interest in him, leaned on the kitchen counter.

"Oooh~ getting curious about me then?"

No I was not interested in him. What in the world was I even doing? If he had forced his way into my home, then the police needed to called right? But I don't even know how he got in. However he got in, Laito has basically broken into my house and has physically harassed me at school, he needed to go. Not to mention my father will be home and there's no telling what time that'll be. Either way, Laito needed to leave. But how on earth was I going to get him to leave? He obviously wasn't gonna leave so easily but I had to try.

"Laito, I don't know how you got here, but you really need to g-go. I shouldn't have company here this late at night and I'll get in trouble. Can you please leave?"

Laito only threw his head back and laughed as if I told him the world's most hilarious joke. After he was done laughing, he moved from on the other side of the counter, to side I was on.

"Well aren't you the well behaved daughter. Not a rotten little bone in your body."

I should've known it wasn't going to be easy to get rid of him. It was worth a shot though. I frowned at what I just realized what he had just said. I was certain that that was an insult. What did he mean by that?

Before I could ask him, Laito stepped closer to me and stood right in front of me. Reaching his hand out, he reached behind my head and twirled a bit of my ponytail in his fingers. I backed away from him a bit and his hand fell from my hair.

Trying to not pay him any mind, I got down on my hands and knees and began to clean up the mess I made. Which I soon realized what a big mistake I had made. I made myself wide open to his advances.

I felt a pair of cold hands grip my hips and then a sudden weight pressing down on my back, Laito's chest was pressed into my back. With Laito's face right next to mine, he was bent over with me.

"I must say, that this position is one of my favorites~."

Realizing how intimate our position was, I hastily tried to get up, only for Laito to slip his hands into my hair and yank hard. He untied my ponytail and went to grip my hair again. The pain sent tears to my eyes and made my back arch further into him. My heart raced when I felt him move his pelvis into my backside.

"L-laito get off of me! You're hurting me!"

It was pointless to even struggle, he wasn't budging in the slightest and I started to tremble underneath him. So many things were going through my head with what he may do to me.

With one hand in my hair and the other one my hip, Laito slowly ran the hand that was on my hip, up my side and then he curved it around so that he could grasp my chest.

Leaning into my ear, he licked it while whispering.

"If I'm hurting you, then I must be doing something right."

What the actual hell was with this guy? Why? Why is this happening to me? How can my mood go from bad to good then back to bad all over again? Yui had cheered me up immensely not too long ago and now I feel as if I could die right now. I felt so very dirty.

Dropping my head, I began to cry.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

I felt my tears run down my face and fall on the floor mixing in with what little juice was left over on the floor. I closed my eyes to stop the tears from spilling out any more.

Then that's when I felt Laito's hand leave my head and get up from behind me. With all his weight leaving my back, I slowly got up and stood to my feet. Only to find him back leaning against the counter with a huge smirk on his face. My face was wet with tears and sweat from being utterly terrified at what just occurred. Seeing him act so casually as if he didn't just do anything wrong, lit something inside of me. I was furious with him.

He saw how evident my anger was and his smirk grew into a full smile. A teasing smile.

Just when I thought it was over, he grabbed my arm dragging me over towards the couch and threw me onto it. I should've known he wasn't going to stop just because I was crying. He let me go just so I could let my guard down and he could get me again.

I ended up on my back and Laito hovered over me. With both of his hands on either side of my head, he then maneuvered himself so that he was resting between my legs. That's when I felt something rubbing against my core. My breath caught in my throat and I squirmed trying to get him from in between my legs which only seemed to excite him more. Laito then pushed himself further into my pelvis and I felt myself burning up from below. I could not believe that my body was reacting this way. Laito was enjoying every second of my defenseless position and it surely showed. He was blushing and his breathing with almost erratic. He looked as if he just caught his favorite meal. I wasn't scared, I was frightened. There's no telling what he's about to do.

"L-laito...?"

Calling his name was pointless. Yet it did show some result, just not the result I was hoping for. He seemed to enjoy me saying his name and gave me a toothy grin. That's when I felt my chest tighten.

Fangs? What the hell was going on?

Before I could even process anything, Laito pulled my shirt down so that he could reach the tops of my breasts. He bent forward and gave a long wet lick across my skin. That action caused my whole body to jerk in surprise.

I tried to move his head away from my chest only for him to grab my wrists and hold them above my head.

He brought his eyes up at me enjoying my defenseless position and then that's when he bit me. The pain was like two thick needles entering your skin deeper and deeper. Like reoccurring pain and then a burning sensation. Then he started to suck at the wound. That's when it began to hurt more. He started rubbing himself deeper into me and I felt my legs started to quiver. I hated how my body was responding to him. It was just sick. He kept drinking without a break and I was almost certain that after he finished, that there was gonna be a huge bruise there. He was the complete opposite of gentle. The more I thrashed around in pain, the harder he bit and the stronger he sucked. Feeling light headed, I attempted to speak.

"L-laito...you're...too much..."

It was no use. He was going to kill me. Was I going to die right here on the couch? I couldn't even imagine my dad's face to walk in from work and see his only child laid out dead. He'd be so devastated. Maybe even see no point in living anymore. Oh Dad. Just thinking about how I may never see him again, I started crying again. Feeling myself fade out, I opened my mouth once more.

"Dad...I love you."

Right after I said that, I felt Laito's head move away from my chest. My eyes barely open, I saw my blood dripping from his lips and onto my shirt. He was staring into my glassy eyes. I felt his fingers wipe at the spot where he bit me. I flinched at the harsh pain he caused. Laito came closer to my face. I could smell the blood on his lips. That was my blood. My...Blood.

His mouth came closer to mine and he whispered into my mouth.

"Love? There's only lust. And I'll gladly show you how they are one in the same. Bitch chan~."

Then he leaned in closer and gave me a deep lust filled kiss. His tongue glided against mine and I tasted nothing but blood. Despite how light headed I was, I almost vomited in my mouth at the taste of his copper filled kiss. I was in a daze and my shirt was frazzled. My chest hurt, my face was streaked with tears and small beads of sweat, and my lips tasted of blood. Bringing my fingers to my lips, I felt how cold they were. I didn't know if maybe it was because of my lack of blood or it was because of Laito's cold dead lips. Then just like that, he was gone.

Not being able to stay conscious any longer, I closed my eyes and dozed off.

After I woke up, I looked around and noticed that my appearance was still in disarray. Thankfully, Dad wasn't home yet. Not thinking about anything else, I slowly and carefully made my way to the bathroom.

I washed up as much as I could. Cleaning my face, rinsing out my mouth and washing my wound, I removed my sweaty blood stained shirt and replaced it with another one. I know that I'm not fully clean, but I was too tired to stand in the shower and I didn't trust myself in taking a bath. What if I passed out and drowned, then what?

I slowly dragged my way to my room and into my bed. Closing my eyes drifting off to sleep, the last thing that ran through my mind, was...

Vampire.


	5. Chapter 5

My head was throbbing, my body ached and my throat felt as scratchy as sandpaper. My whole body hurt in ways I didn't think were possible. I laid in bed hoping that everything that had happened last night was all a big dream and maybe my body was so sore because I was tossing and turning in all sorts of ways. I wanted so badly to believe it was a dream. That is until I unconsciously reached inside my shirt and felt the two holes that sat right on my chest.

Flinching at the slightest touch, I pulled my hand away from it. It was a tender sharp pain and I was for sure that it was red and swollen a bit in that area.

I slowly rose up from my bed only to fall right back onto my pillow. My head was heavy and pulsating, yet despite how much of a wreck I was, I needed to get up and out of bed before my dad came into my room and saw how sick I was.

I forced myself out of bed and carefully made my way over to my mirror that was up on my wall. Not able to keep myself properly balanced, I placed my hands on each side of the mirror and leaned forward. The dizziness made my stomach turn and I put my hand up towards my mouth trying to keep myself from hurling.

After keeping my stomach in order, my eyes made their way up to the mirror.

My appearance was a disaster.

My eyes looked sunken in, my lips had a bit of dry blood on them from when Laito kissed me, and my eyes were red from lack of sleep. I didn't get any proper sleep last night at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I only saw Laito's vibrant green eyes staring down at me from above. Him hovering over me with his devilish smirk, and his fangs flashing intimidatingly at me. He was a vampire. A vampire? There was just no way. Vampires aren't real. They're just fictional creatures that were made up in the minds of people who had such colorful imaginative fantasies.

I thought about how Laito was touching me and pressing himself into me so intimately last night. My hands went to cover my red hot face in utter shame. I know that its only natural for the human body to react to such physical contact, but with Laito...I just felt bitter, yet at the same time, I wasn't sure if I hated it one hundred percent. His cold hands being so rough with me yet with full control and experience, those bright green eyes looking down at me with such anticipation and that kiss...

Without even realizing it, my fingers slowly reached up to my lips. I could still feel his cool mouth on mine and his tongue...my god what's wrong with me. I felt myself growing uncontrollably warm in my nether regions and I actually had to slap myself back to reality. I needed to put those thoughts on permanent halt. I felt like a damn wanton woman with those kind of thoughts running through my head like that.

It was still difficult to digest the thought that he was a vampire. As much as I didn't want to believe it, I knew that the possibility was highly likely. The painful bite mark on my cleavage was proof enough. He even had that special skill that vampires were known for having, being able to charm whoever they want.

I slowly lifted up my shirt only to see angry looking holes on my breast. Just as I thought, it was a bit red and swollen. I reached to lightly touch it and it was hot to the touch. I cleaned it with hot water and soap last night before bed, and there was no bleeding, but it didn't even look like much was done to it. What if it didn't heal and got infected.

As I was still in the mirror going over the damage Laito had done, I heard my dad's room door open. I quickly tried to make myself look alive. After pulling my shirt back down, I took my fingers and ran them through my hair, then I pinched my checks hoping that'll jolt me into waking up more.

After getting myself in order a bit, there was a knock on my door.

"Hiyori? Are you up?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't get a word out due to my dried out throat. I tried to talk again but only some coughs escaped my mouth. Dad clearly heard me coughing from behind the door and knocked again.

"Hiyori are you okay? Should I come in?"

I cleared my throat as good as I can and finally answered him.

"Yeah dad I'm okay. Just still a bit groggy. I'll be out in a few minutes."

I can tell that Dad hesitated by the door before walking off. I saw his shadow linger for a few seconds longer from under the door. I released a sigh as my Dad finally walked away from my door. Though I knew Dad was now gonna worry and ask me what was wrong. Not only just by how I sounded just now, but when Dad sees me, he's gonna know something's wrong with me.

I knew Dad had to leave for work this morning, so I thought about waiting in my room for a while until he left, and I could try to make myself not look ill.

That idea was crushed immediately when Dad came by my room again after a few minutes to see why I was still hiding in my room. Not wanting to come up with any lies, I came out of my room.

I quickly greeted Dad with a 'Good Morning' and darted into the bathroom before he could see me.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I lifted my shirt again to look at the bite. I couldn't help but keep looking at it. It was just so unreal. The whole thing was just absolutely horrifyingly unbelievable.

The one thing I guess I can be grateful for, is that Laito bit me in a place that can be easily hidden. That still didn't mean I could leave it uncovered. I looked in the bathroom mirror and grabbed a bandage. It was wide enough to cover both holes and it felt more comfortable. The wound was tender and feeling it rub against my shirt every time I moved was painful.

After getting myself together, I walked out to see my Dad cooking up some quick breakfast. He was dressed for work but he somehow had time to cook for me.

"Morning Dad. You're cooking? Aren't you going to be late?"

Dad turned towards me while he was gripping the skillet. I saw that he was making an omelet. With dad only being able to cook a few things, I was the one that was in charge of breakfast and dinner. Not to mention, he never had time because he was too busy making a living for the both of us.

I went to sit down at the table watching him cook.

"I have a little time to make you something. After I'm done, I'll be off."

As Dad flipped the omelet, he took a glance at me and stopped all what he was doing. He looked at me with concern written all over his face.

Uh oh. Here it comes.

"Hiyori. My god...you look deathly ill. Did you catch something?"

I put on a wide smile and perked up a bit in my seat. I needed to play this just right, otherwise he'd insist on staying home and watching over me.

"Uh yeah. As soon as I got home last night, I went and got in the tub. I took a long bath and then slept without my blanket on me. I must've kicked it off. You know I'm a wild sleeper Dad."

I laughed awkwardly and tapped my foot underneath the table in hope that my Dad would just drop it after my explanation but those hopes were pointless.

Dad eyed me suspiciously while putting my food on a plate. He put some fruit on the plate as well and walked over to me while still looking at me with worry all over his face.

"Another thing, when I came home last night, I saw a huge mess in the kitchen. What happen? Did you spill the juice and then got in the tub?"

I nodded while picking up my fork getting ready to dig in.

"Yeah. I went to get something to drink but then I dropped it and it popped open and spilled all over me. I got in the tub as soon as it got all over me. I just didn't want the juice to set in my clothes. So I just jumped in the tub. Sorry about that."

I shuffled in my seat trying to calm myself down. It wasn't like I was lying or anything, all of that did happen. I was just leaving some stuff out. So technically I wasn't lying. Sort of.

I wanted Dad to just dropped everything. This is the first time that I actually wanted him to hurry up and go to work.

After Dad gave me my food, he went into the kitchen to clean the dishes.

"Did you eat also? There was a half eaten sandwich on the table in the living room."

Dad was just not letting up this morning. Of course this wouldn't have happened had I cleaned up properly. Then again, that's kinda hard to do with Laito sticking to me like glue.

With my mouth full of food. I tried to explain myself with the food purposely blocking my every word.

"Mmmyumm stummish wshh grruwlinn..."

It seemed to be a ridiculous plan, but it was worth a shot. As I was speaking, I coughed on purposed pretending to choke on my food. Dad held up his hands stopping me.

"Hiyori chew and swallow first! Goodness Hiyori, you've been acting strange this morning, are you sure you're okay?"

Just great, I made him more curious about my behavior this morning, rather than trying to persuade him otherwise. I swallowed my food and nodded earnestly.

"I'm fine dad. Honestly. Shouldn't you be off to work? You shouldn't be late."

Releasing a heavy exhale, Dad looked at his watch and stopped cleaning the dishes. It was easy to tell that Dad didn't want to end the conversation right there but he just didn't have time.

"You're right. Hiyori can you take care of the dishes for me?"

I said okay and Dad went off to get his things for work.

As Dad was getting ready, I finished my food and took my stuff to the sink. I didn't even get to savor my omelet because I was trying to convince Dad that I was alright and nothing was the matter.

After cleaning the dishes, I went to sit on the couch until Dad left.

Dad came speed walking out towards the door. Slipping on his shoes, he called out to me.

"Hiyori...are you sure you're okay? Other than you being under the weather, you've been very strange this morning. Should I call off?"

I jumped up from my seat and ran up to Dad.

"Dad I keep telling you I'm fine. With some medicine and rest, I'll be good as new. Thanks for the food. Get going. I love you. Have a good day at work."

I pushed my dad out the door while telling him not to worry about me. After shutting the door, I leaned against it and slid to the floor with my knees up against my chest.

I was still feeling like crap. I don't recall ever being anemic, even during my monthly. Even though I've never been anemic, I do know how to treat it though. Like behind the counter medicine and certain foods. I'm not sure if we have iron pills, but if not, then that means I'll have to suck up my sickness and go to the store.

I peaked out the window and saw Dad finally pulling out of the drive way. I went to the kitchen to do the dishes and then I went in my room to get some clothes together so that I can get in the shower.

Since I was only heading to the store, I decided to put on some knee high shorts and a simple white T-shirt. I gave myself a once over in my mirror and I was content with what I saw. I was still a bit sickly looking but not as bad as this morning. I changed the bandage I had on earlier after getting out the shower. After taking care of all that, I tied my hair up in a ponytail, then I slipped on my tennis shoes and grabbed my purse. I checked to see if I had my wallet inside and the list I made. After making sure that I had everything, I made my way out the door.

There was a drugstore not far from the house, it was about a 5 minute walk. Once I leave from there, I'll have to go to the grocery store. I couldn't just take those pills on an empty stomach. Not to mention, it had to be certain foods. I read that spinach was great for low iron.

At least the weather wasn't too bad. Not too hot that's for sure. It would've sucked if I started sweating after I had just gotten out of the shower.

As I was walking, I heard someone call my name from behind me.

"Hiyori!"

Before I could turn around, the person had already ran up on the side of me. It was Yusuke. My face lit up when I saw him and I stopped walking.

"Yusuke hi. Hehe, you surprised me again."

Yusuke scratched the back of his head while showing me a half smile.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know if it was you at first."

I tilted my head and squinted my eyes.

"So what if I had been a complete stranger?"

Yusuke shrugged and shook his head.

"Then at least I would've had something funny to tell you the next time I saw you."

We both burst out laughing and began to walk side by side. I saw that Yusuke noticed my bag in my hand and my causal clothing. I knew he was gonna ask, so I just told him where I was going.

"I'm on my way to a couple of stores to pick up some things. What are you doing? Taking another walk?"

Yusuke reached in his pocket and pulled out a list showing it to me.

"My mom wanted me to pick up a few groceries for dinner tonight. So she sent me out. I told her that I was in the mood for a hot pot."

I gave him a confused look. Hot pot? Those are usually reserved for cooler seasons.

"But its summer..."

He awkwardly chuckled and stuffed the paper back in his pocket.

"I know, but she did say anything I was in the mood for. You said you were going to a couple of stores? Which stores?"

As soon as he asked me that question, we ended up right where I was headed. Which was a drug store. I gestured my hand towards the front door of the store.

"Well this one. I have to pick up some medicine. I've been...a little sick. Then I have to head to the grocery store as well."

Yusuke and I walked in the store and I immediately went to look for iron pills. Yusuke was kind enough to help me and even suggested a certain brand that'll be perfect for me. He told me that his mom use to send him out to pick some up for her. He even told me that 50mg would be a good dosage to start from. I know that I could've asked a pharmacist or called a doctor, but I was too shy for that. Thank goodness I ran into Yusuke.

After we left the drugstore, we headed to the food mart. I helped him get the ingredients for his dinner and he helped me pick out some food perfect for anemia. Spinach, Cranberry juice, broccoli and even Dark chocolate!

"You're kidding? Dark chocolate is good for strengthening the iron in your body?"

Yusuke laughed at my sudden shock and happiness.

"Yes yes. Its not always healthy foods that does the body good. Even though dark chocolate is healthier than milk and white chocolate.

After we paid for our things, we headed straight back to our homes.

"Yusuke thanks for your help today."

Yusuke grinned.

"No problem. Hiyori, I know that it may be rude of me to say this, but you don't seem pretty bright today. Are you okay? I mean Its clear that you're not feeling well but you seem a bit down. I know its none of my business, but did something happen?"

All of what Yusuke said to me caught me off guard. I mean I know that I wasn't looking my best today, but he just didn't seem like the kind of guy that would out right say that I looked bad. Its not like it was a bad thing, that only meant that he was an genuine person. Which is something that I can highly appreciate.

Sighing, I decided to tell him. Only a little bit of course.

"Yusuke thanks for worrying. Yeah you're right. I'm a bit under the weather today and something did happen. It was just a stressful day last night for me and I unfortunately brought that stress home with me. How I got sick, was just me being careless. Got in the shower, went to bed, kicked off the covers and that's that."

Shrugging, I ended my explanation. Yusuke still seemed concerned and he wasn't completely buying my story but thankfully, he didn't push the subject any further.

We said our goodbyes and went our sperate ways.

Once I got inside, I went to put the food I bought away.

I hope I didn't worry Yusuke too much. I wanted to hope that this whole thing that went on with Laito would pass but then I remembered that I had class with him, he and Yui were acquainted with one another, and he knew where I lived. Which I still can't believe how he figured out that info. Maybe he followed me or something.

I was thinking that Yui might have said something to him, but that's impossible seeing as how Yui didn't even know where I lived either.

As I was putting everything up, I suddenly remembered.

"Yui! She gave me her number. I meant to call her."

Just throwing things almost anywhere, I quickly got comfortable and ran to my room to look for the paper that had her number on it. After searching through my uniform pockets, I found it. I looked inside my dresser drawer and retrieved my cell phone. I didn't really have a use for a cellular phone at all. I had no friends and I always stayed home and to myself. Most people my age that have a cell phone, usually use it for friendly chatter or to keep up with the latest everything on social media. I had no interest in such things. I always told myself, that it was none of my business. Even though I didn't necessarily need a phone, Dad insisted immensely. So for my 15th birthday, he got me one. There were times when Dad even had to force me to take my phone to school. Of course since he was so persisted, I agreed a few times.

I held my phone tight in one hand and in the other I had the paper that had Yui's number on it. I sat on my bed anxiously. I had no idea what to say at all. I thought about calling her but what if she was busy and couldn't be on the phone at the moment. I sat up to look at the clock on my night stand and it was 10 after 2. This should be a good time to contact her. It'd be easier to send a text message but that would also make me more on edge with having to wait. What if I said something awkward. I mean, she's already seen me awkward already but what if I say something too awkward and she regrets giving me her contact information.

So many possibilities were coursing through my head. I laid out flat on my bed and started writhing around.

After collecting myself, I took a big breath and sat up. I flipped open my phone and held the paper on the opposite side.

I nervously typed in her number and then went to type the message.

 _"Hi Yui. Its Hiyori."_

I hit send and then laid back down on my bed. A simple message. You can't go wrong with a casual greeting. I released a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I waited for a response which I thought was gonna take forever, but then my phone lit up and rang startling me. I sat up with earnest and almost dropped my phone on the floor but I managed to catch it mid fall. I opened it and of course it was Yui. I opened the message.

 _"Hiyori I was actually worried that you weren't going to contact me :)"_

She was worried?! I'm over here having a mental breakdown because I thought she wasn't going to message me back. Even though she just met me, she's really honest with her feelings with me. Maybe I should be honest too and tell her that I was just as nervous.

 _"I was nervous too. To be honest, I've never really had a friend before so I was hesitant on messaging you."_

What if that was too much? Well I'll just have to wait and see. If she's honest with me, then I have every right to be honest with her as well.

After a few minutes though, I started to worry. What if I was pressuring her into filling that spot as my first friend. She probably doesn't want to be friends with a loner like me. I didn't want to think that way about Yui. Yui's not one to judge. I haven't known her long but it's just a hunch that I know what I'm talking about. I have to have more faith in Yui to know that she wouldn't judge me. After what felt like forever, my phone finally lit up.

I opened it and read it.

 _"You too? I never really had a friend ever since I started attending that school. People usually just avoid me. Hiyori we should hang out some time. Would you want to?"_

I jumped up and started bouncing up and down on my bed. I was so excited. I have a friend and she wants to hang out! I was feeling awful this morning but Yui is like my own personal remedy and she is very well guaranteed to work every time.

I stopped jumping and hurriedly replied.

 _"Yes! Where did you want to go?"_

I dropped down on my bed with a loud thump waiting for my phone to light up again. Of course I didn't have to wait long at all and she replied immediately.

 _"There is this nice cafe that I know. We can meet up in front of the school tomorrow early evening. Is that a good time?"_

Without waiting a single second, I gave her the okay that the time she chose was as good as a time as any. After getting myself overly excited, I felt myself getting light headed. Yui had brightened my mood so much that I totally forgot that I was physically drained. So I texted her that I wasn't feeling too well and wanted to rest up before school started. We told each other that we'd see each other later at school and ended it there.

I skipped my way into the kitchen and started to get something to eat. I brought a chicken salad that had spinach in it and for dessert, thanks to Yusuke's fact of the day, dark chocolate. I poured me a glass of cranberry juice and grabbed my food and made my way over towards the couch to sit down. Flipping on the TV, I turned to a funny sitcom. Soon after, I dug into my food.

After eating, I took two iron pills and then took my dishes and trash to the kitchen. I looked at the time and saw that I still had a couple hours to get some sleep. I made sure to clean up my mess this time that's for sure. I went to my room and got in bed. Hopefully I feel at least mostly better by the time its time for me to go. Before texting Yui, I was actually set on just staying home. I didn't think I could face Laito after experiencing such a moment with him. I still won't be able to just ignore him though. I do have a class with him, only one though thank goodness, but he sits right next to me so its not that easy to ignore. Not to mention by how he treated me last night, he isn't the type to take being ignored too lightly. I feel like if I attempted to ignore him in class, he'd do something 100x times worse than last night and that is something that I will avoid with my very life.

I didn't want to keep thinking about it too much, so I decided to just push my worries towards the back of my mind and just go to sleep. Hopefully by the time I wake up, I'll feel at least a bit energized, because I'm sure as heck gonna need it.

 _ **Translation for this quote**_

 _ **:**_ "Mmmyumm stummish wshh grruwlinn..."

: "My stomach was growling..."


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up just in time to get ready for school and by all the graces above, I felt good enough to go to school. I even managed to have a good sleep. I didn't feel lightheaded in the slightest, my body didn't feel like it was gonna crumble, and I actually felt like I had a bit of energy.

I got up from my bed and stretched my arms high above my head, then I bent down and touched my toes with my fingers. After moving my body around a bit, I went to the bathroom to get washed up. I put on a clean bandage over my bite mark and made my way back to my room.

After putting on my clothes, I went to my mirror to fix my hair. While I was working on my hair, I heard my phone go off go behind me. Since I wasn't use to having it out, it had startled me a bit. I had totally forgotten that I left my phone out after texting Yui. I was so happy about Yui and I planning our day out, that I didn't bother to put my phone back inside my drawer. I left it right on my night stand by my bedside.

I turned around and saw that my phone was still lit up and walked over to it. I picked it up and not to my surprise it was Yui. Other than Dad, she was the only one that had my number. I flipped it open and opened the message.

 _"Good evening Hiyori. I was wondering if you wanted a ride to school?"_

Yui wanted to pick me up from home? I honestly wouldn't mind going to school with her, but there was just one big problem. That problem was called Laito Sakamaki. My plan was to avoid him as much as possible and for me to get in a small space with him was not how I was gonna do that. That's the complete opposite of what I wanted. I didn't want to turn Yui's offer down because she clearly meant well. She has no knowledge of what happened between Laito and me, and I was unsure if I should even tell her. I can always just tell her that I appreciated her offer but I'm not that far from the school. Which was true. It only took me a few minutes to walk to school, so for her to come by my home and pick me up only to ride with each other for 5 minutes seemed pointless. Yet at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to go to school together. As I was contemplating on whether I should accept her offer or not, with my phone still in my hands, my phone went off again. I opened the message and read it.

 _"So do you want to? I thought it'd be nice to go to school together. If not today, then how about tomorrow?"_

I wanted to turn her down but when she says it like that, it makes me wanna say yes without even thinking about it. Yet all I could do was think about how I was gonna be in a limo with Laito. I did not want to be near him at all if I can control it.

I held my phone in my hand while biting my lip. I felt like this was such a hard decision, yet at the same time it was so simple. Taking a deep breath, I decided that I'd go. I mean its only for a few minutes or less in the car. I think I can put up with it for Yui. I finally sucked it up and gave her my reply.

 _"Okay sure. My address is 525 xxx. I'll be standing right outside._

 _"_

Even though I wasn't too keen on being cooped up in a space with Laito, I found myself not regretting my choice. Maybe because I knew I wasn't gonna be completely alone with the brothers. Especially one brother in particular. I put my phone in my bag and finished getting myself together. I grabbed my bag and ran out my room towards the front door. Slipping on my shoes, I made sure that everything was in order and left locking the door in the process. I didn't want to keep them waiting, so I just stood outside in front of the house waiting for them to pull up.

While I was waiting for them to pull up, I heard a screeching sound and...flapping? It wasn't loud but it definitely wasn't too quiet of a sound for me to not hear it. I looked left and right trying to locate where the sound was coming from. I finally looked up and saw a small black thing perched on one of the windowsills.

Was that a...bat? What the heck was a bat doing out here in this area? I stared at it for a short minute until it flapped its wings and flew away while screeching. Soon after it took flight, I turned around after hearing a motor running and of course it was the limo that had pulled up in front of my house. It felt strange having a fancy car pick me up for school like this. Even though it was fancy, it didn't seem like the cool kind of fancy. More along the lines of creepy than cool.

As I approached the car, the door opened up right as I reached for the door handle. Hoping that the first face I would get to see would be Yui's, much to my displeasure, I was greeted with Ayato's scowling face. He took a sideway glance at me, scoffed and then faced forward with his arms crossed.

Not knowing what to say, I just simply said hello.

"Hello again. Sorry for intruding."

I didn't get a single response, that is until Yui peeped over Ayato.

"Good evening Hiyori. Hurry inside. Reji san doesn't like to wait."

Not wanting to keep them waiting, I climbed inside grabbing me a seat next to Yui. While holding my skirt down in the back to keep my underwear from flashing, I climbed over Ayato and Yui to get to the empty seat by the window. Yui sat in the middle of Ayato and me. I was fine with that, as long as I wasn't near Laito. I felt his eyes on me the whole time I was making my way to my seat. Starting now, I was going to try my best at not paying him any mind.

Speaking of which, after I sat down, I took notice of all of the brothers in the car. It was dead silent. It was like they didn't even acknowledged each other's existence. Ayato sat with his eyes closed and arms crossed, Kanato had his bear in his lap totally entranced by it, Subaru's posture was almost similar to Ayato's only he was just glaring at me for whatever reason. Subaru sat near Ayato only his seat was sideways, so he had clear view of me to stare. Maybe because I sort of told him off when he was forcing Yui to go along with him that time. If he was still angry about that, then so be it. As much as I kind of wanted to, I wasn't going to apologize. I noticed that Kanato was in between both Subaru and Laito. It seemed like an odd seating arrangement for some reason. I then fixed my eyes on the boy with glasses. I met him in the library and it was far from a pleasant introduction. I wonder what his name was. Yui said that the eldest was the one that didn't take the role as the eldest, yet this guy seemed very much like the responsible type. Then I took notice of the blonde brother. He had ear buds in, obviously tuning out the world.

The deafening silence was so intimidating, that I was afraid if I said anything, it would cause an unwanted tension in the air. Yet at the same time, I didn't want to seem rude. I inhaled lightly, and spoke up.

"Good evening. Thank you for the ride to school. I Hope I'm not imposing."

I bent my head forward a bit towards all of the brothers. I know that all of this was probably pointless, considering that no matter how polite or patient I was with the brothers I'd get a rude response, but I just wasn't raised that way. I give thanks when need be.

After lifting my head back up, I saw that the boy with glasses was staring at me. I felt like he was judging me with his eyes. Not knowing what to do, I simply started tugging at the hem of my skirt and awkwardly looked down at my feet. While I was fidgeting in my seat, a sudden voice made me jump a bit.

"Don't expect us to pick you up every day, but if you are to accompany us to school sometimes, make sure to greet everyone properly when you enter the car. Understood?"

I looked up at him and nodded nervously. Then I thought that he'd want a proper response, so I quickly spoke.

"Absolutely. Um, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. I'd want to greet you properly after all."

The boy with glasses simply adjusted his glasses and started introducing each brother.

"I'm Reji, the second eldest. The eldest is Shu, the youngest Subaru, and then you have the triplets, Ayato, Kanato, and Laito."

After he said Laito's name, Laito looked towards me and winked. As much as I tried to ignore his presence, I couldn't fully hide my irritation and my body shuddered at his inappropriate greeting. Regardless of how uncomfortable I was because of him, I sucked it up and gave all the brothers a welcoming response. Despite me having met most of them.

"Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Hiyori Yamaguchi and I hope we can get along in the near future."

The only reply I was welcomed with, was a few scoffs or just absolute silence. Well at least the greetings are off the table. It was back to being just quiet again.

As I looked around at each brother, I leaned in towards Yui and whispered.

"Are they always this quiet?"

Yui put her finger on her chin as if she was deep in thought.

"Well on the way to school its usually silent. Its much different at the house."

I wondered what she meant. Were they quite rowdy at home or something. I mean I know that at school they're seen as such celebrities but I bet behind closed doors, their true colors are shown.

The ride felt stuffy and I was almost suffocating on the tension in the air. Were these guys actually brothers? They looked like they would kill each other if one of them even gave eye contact with one another. Even though I was uncomfortable, I felt at ease with Yui being right next to me. I won't be getting a ride with them everyday that's for sure, but when I do, I'm gonna have to pray that I get a seat next to Yui and far from Laito.

I thought that the silence would last all the way until we got to school, but it was broken by the very person that irked me in the worst of ways.

"Hmm~ going to school everyday with two Bitch chans instead of one would be a pleasant change."

There he goes again with that insulting nickname. Yui clearly doesn't mind it but how come? How long had she been living with them for her to allow such a slur to be used as a nickname.

I sighed and just looked out the window. I knew that it was no use to do so, because as soon as turned my gaze away from him, he felt the need to voice something else.

"What's this? You're ignoring me? That's not very nice. You should know what happens when you try to do that. Want me to demonstrate here in the car?"

Laito attempted to get up from his seat and make his way towards me. He most certainly grabbed my attention now. He was about to make his way over until Subaru stretched out his leg and stomped his foot hard on the floor of the car stopping Laito in his tracks.

"You fucking pervert...you come anywhere near me and I'll kill you."

His tone was so menacing, that I could've sworn I heard him growl out each word as he warned Laito.

Laito stopped crawling towards me and causally sat back down in his seat. Despite him being threatened like that, he didn't seem unnerved by it. He simply crossed his legs and gave an innocent smile.

"Subaru is more on edge than usual today. Do you like our new Bitch chan Subaru? This'll be good for you actually. Now you can stop tinkering with Ayato's Bitch chan~."

That's when Subaru lost it. He took his fist and turned it sideways hitting the car window. Thankfully enough, It didn't break all the way but it did crack. That sudden action caused me and Yui to shriek and jumped a bit. Yui then put up her hands and tried to defuse the situation by talking to them calmly.

"Subaru kun please, you have to calm down. You'll get hurt if you keep hitting things like that."

Her voice of concern was proven futile, as it seemed to have added more fuel to the flame in the car. Ayato then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Whatca so worried about him for? That hysterical brat is nothing for you to care about. Got that chichinashi?"

Chichinashi? What's up with these tasteless nicknames? Ayato's been silent this whole time, so that caught me off guard for sure. Ayato then leaned in towards Yui and laid his head in between the curve of her neck. Yui put her hands on his chest and began pushing him away, which caught me by surprise seeing as how petite she was, and was able to push him away so easily. She's stronger than she looks that's for sure. That didn't stop her from being completely flustered though.

"Ayato stop it! Not in the car please? Plus Hiyori is here..."

Ayato laid his eyes on me and sneered at me. It was evident that he didn't care that I was present, but I was grateful that Yui was considerate of me being there. It'd be very awkward if Ayato did something really intimate right next to me.

"Tch, who cares if she sees. Its not like she's an innocent. I can smell that pervert all over her."

My heart dropped straight into my stomach at what he had just said. What the hell did he just say? Surely he's joking. Smell? Pervert? Only one thing came to mind as soon as he said that. Did he know about Laito and me? No way. There's no way he'd know, unless these brothers actually discussed their rendezvous together. What the hell am I talking about?! What went on that night was **not** a rendezvous! That was sexual assault all the way and I was far from giving consent.

I didn't know where to look, so I kept my eyes down and my hands in my lap. Oh god, I wonder what Yui was probably thinking at the moment. As if she was reading my mind, I felt Yui lay her hand over mine. I turned to look at her and all she did was smile. As she was trying to calm me down, up and down my arms were quickly covered in goosebumps. Yui's body was eerily cold. The same thing happened when Yui and I were talking in the courtyard at school about her relationship with the Sakamaki brothers. I just didn't comment on it because I had just assumed that she had a bit of a chill with us being out in the night air and we didn't have a jacket or anything.

That was odd...

Even though Yui was trying to comfort me, and regardless of me wondering about her body temperature, I was still frozen in my seat at Ayato's claim. I saw that Laito had leaned forward with his elbow on his knee and his emerald eyes resting on me. He was plainly enjoying this whole thing. He knew I was freaking out on the inside and was basking in it. Then before he could open his sick little mouth, Reji spoke up while adjusting his glasses again.

"Enough of this distasteful conduct, we've arrived at school. Good grief."

Looking out the window, I saw that we really did arrive. By car, going to school from my house didn't take long at all. It had to been at least 5min or less, but carpooling with these people, it felt like it took forever to get here. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, that I couldn't wait to get out of there. I hadn't even noticed that I was on the side where we all were suppose to get out on, until Ayato reached over and nudged my shoulder.

"Oi idiot! Open the damn door already!"

His crass tone caught my full attention and without waiting another second, I pulled the door handle and quickly pushed open the door. I made sure my bag was in my hand and crawled out. I didn't even bother to try and shield my underwear because I was trying to hurry and get outta there.

After I got out, I stood out of the way on the side until Yui came out.

Yui stepped out while letting out and exhausted sigh. She turned towards me and stood in front of me with a half smile on her face.

"Hiyori, I'm sorry about what happened on the way here. I hope this doesn't change your opinion of me."

My eyes grew wide at her unexpected apology. She didn't need to apologize. It was those brothers that needed to be sorry for their actions. Yeah I mean I did want to bring up the fact that her hands were as cold as ice, but instead I simply waved my hand brushing it off. Perhaps she was just sick or something.

"Yui you don't have anything to be sorry for. Also don't worry about my opinion of you. I'm not gonna let what happened in the car phase my thoughts of you. You're my friend and I'm not going to ditch our friendship just because you have to live with those guys."

Yui seemed to be more at ease at what I had to say and we shared a relaxing smile with each other. While we were talking, the brothers had all exited the car and were making their way inside the school. Of course Ayato being the impatient boy that he is, rushed us as he was already ahead. I was actually surprised that he wasn't sticking to Yui like he usually does.

"Oi! Chichinashi and Idiot!"

Yui and I hurried up ahead after Ayato's impatient outburst. While Yui and I were hurrying up, I felt someone wrap their arm around my shoulder. I turned to see who it was and to my best of luck, it Laito. Yui was already ahead at Ayato's side and I hadn't even notice that he was behind us. I thought all of them were in front and Yui and me. I guess I was so distracted while speaking with Yui, that I had briefly forgotten about Laito. Which I didn't think was possible. He was holding me so close and tightly, that I tripped over my own two feet while trying to walk.

"Laito san, can you please give me some space?"

Honestly, why did I always try to be civil with him or any of the other brothers when it does no good whatsoever. After asking him to let me go, he simply held me closer and even had the nerve to lean into me and lick the side of my neck. A big tremble went down my spine and I pulled away from his grasp. Luckily, he let me jerk away from him. I took my hand and wiped where he had his tongue. As I wiped away roughly, he pouted playfully pretending to be hurt by my action.

"You're too cruel Bitch chan~."

Frowning, I turned away from him and continued to walk towards the school, only for Laito to lock his arm around mine so that he was walking along side of me. I instantly went to pull away but he didn't let me this time. My patience was wearing thin with him, and I was trying not to make a scene. We were still outside in everyone's viewing eye, so if I yelled at him or anything, I have a hunch that I'd be the one that would be looked at as the bad guy.

Laito had his arm twisted with mine and we were casually walking into the school together. He had a devious looking grin on his face almost the whole time we were side by side. As we were making our way inside, I over heard some female students talking.

"Who's that girl?"

"Ehhh? Don't tell me she's living with them too."

"She seems really close with Laito san. You think they're dating?"

"What? No way. She's so plain."

"Whoever she is, I saw her and Komori talking. Maybe they're sisters or something."

"Who cares about that. This only means that another girl is living with the Sakamaki's! She came to school with them after all."

This was just like when I first saw Yui on my first night here. Speaking ill of her as if she wasn't even there, and now look at me. This is quite the twist of events though. Before at my old schools, I was the complete opposite of being the center of attention. I was almost invisible to everyone at school, the school's staff included. The only time I was noticed, was when the teachers called out attendance. In general, I never wanted to be the center of attention anyways, but to be noticed wouldn't have been bad either.

I'm finally seeing my wish, but to my distain, it isn't what I was picturing it to be. I wasn't gonna correct them or anything else of the sort, they were just rumors. Regardless of me ignoring the things that they were saying, that didn't stop me from being bothered by it.

I simply held my head down a bit as Laito and I made our way towards the lockers. Laito, surprisingly, let me go, but only so I can get into my locker.

We made our way to mine and I began to change into my shoes. Laito leaned against the lockers with his arms crossed.

"Seems that you made quite a few friends just now Bitch chan."

I stood up straight after changing my shoes and gave a disapproving look at Laito.

"Let them say whatever they want. Rumors are rumors."

I picked up my bag and started walking to class. Of course Laito was pretty much on my heels. Class was about to start in a few minutes, so I had time to just sit down and relax. That's if Laito let's me. He was matching my stride at this point.

Laito reached towards me and twirled a strand of my hair in his fingers.

"You say they're just rumors yet you're visibly bothered by them?"

Duh. Of course I was bothered by them, but what good would it do if I went around correcting everyone that made false facts about me and Yui. I could show proof up the butt that all of what they're saying is fiction and they'd still come up with some bogus story. I'm not gonna feed into it at all. Trying to ignore and keep my distance from him, I started speed walking to the classroom.

Laito only kept up with my pace. Right when I was about to enter the classroom, Laito grabbed me by my arm and pulled me off down the hallway. His action surprised me and I instantly went to pull away, only for my arm to be roughly gripped harder than it already was. My heart started beating real fast because I didn't know what he was about to do.

"L-laito san?"

He only turned to look at me while still pulling me along. His smile made my heart feel like it was gonna leap out of my throat. I know that look. It was the same look he had when he drank from me at my house. No way. Not here. Not at school! Panic set in and I began to attempt to pry my arm from his hand. I wanted to scream for help, yet at the same time I was afraid of what would happen if I did so. What if after I got him in trouble, he'd come to my house and do something far worse.

We made our way to an almost discreet corner near an empty classroom. It was kind of dim lighted and it smelled of old wood and dust. We were out of sight but there was still the off chance of someone seeing us.

Laito, in which he still had a firm grip on my arm, dragged me up and let me fall backwards on the wall. Feeling the air leave me lungs rapidly, I slid down to the floor and coughed a bit. My back ached and I squinted in pain.

"Laito I'm begging you, not at school. Someone will see..."

Laito knelt in front of me and pushed me on the floor by my shoulders. He was hovering over me like before in my living room. Thinking of the time where he laid himself in between my legs, I quickly shut my legs tightly not wanting a repeat of that moment. Just thinking about it had my face burning up. I thought that since there wasn't that much light in this small shadowed area, that he wouldn't see my blushing face. I was dead wrong. Even though he couldn't see me, I'm sure his cool body felt mines heat up. I turned my face away in shame and disgust.

Laito noticed my change in mood and moved in closer to my face.

"Neh Bitch chan? You're enjoying this aren't you? Heh~."

Laito then moved his lips to the nape of my neck and nipped a bit, making my whole body shiver. I couldn't help but quiver a bit, his body was cold and my body was heated at the moment. I hated how my body was reacting right now and Laito thought I was enjoying what he was doing but he was mistaken. I felt nothing but an absolute loathing feeling all the while he was touching me in such ways.

"I'm not enjoying any of this at all..."

It was sickening, revolting, I just couldn't believe that I was yet again in this situation. Avoiding him was entirely in vain and he had made me so angry. So shameful of myself, never had I had such thoughts about another person but him...

Even though I knew it was an effortless move, I put my hands on his chest and pushed him as hard as I could.

"You're absolutely disgusting Laito Sakamaki."

My eyes grew at what had just left my mouth. It wasn't even what I said that bothered me, but it was how I said it. I pretty much bit out each word with so much detest in my voice. This wasn't like me to say and feel such things. Yes, I'm human too, but I've never felt this much hate for someone. Hate? No...

Regretting what I said almost immediately, I turned to look Laito in the eye.

His usual carefree facial expression no longer wore on his face, instead it seemed like he spaced out a bit. Maybe I had actually hurt his feelings or something. That thought was only pushed away when I felt his fingers play with my ribbon. I had no idea what he was doing until I felt him untying it.

By reflex, I quickly went to grab his hand away from my uniform. He then grabbed both of my hands and held them in one of his hands and held them above my head. I hated this position he put me in. The only things that were free were my legs. I tried to position my legs to where I could hit him in between the legs but he was faster than me. While I was trying to knee him, he found an opening and put himself in between my legs. Utterly susceptible to anything else he may do to me, I simply laid still.

"You decided to stop resisting? Hmmm~. I was actually enjoying the fight, but even I just want to jump right into it."

Jump into? Into what? My heart began beating rapidly at what he meant. I was vulnerable and couldn't physically do as much anymore. I could feel him slipping off my ribbon with ease. I then felt something like a cloth run across my hands. He was tying me up with my ribbon?!

I went to struggle again only for him to grip my wrists tighter than they were before. I was afraid that he was going to break my wrists at this point. He then proceeded to tie my wrists together with the ribbon he stole from my uniform. His face moved in front of mine, our noses were just barely touching. The eye contact was unavoidable and I just laid there looking up into his eyes. The look his eyes had was full of playful excitement yet at the same time, they looked cold and menacing. There was no predicting his next move.

"If what I do is disgusting in your eyes, lets see how much you hate yourself for feeling good at the disgusting things I'm about to do your body."

With his body weighing me down and my hands tied firmly above my head, there was nothing I could do. I was helpless.

Laito then went to unbutton my uniform shirt. The sudden coolness that touched my chest made me get goosebumps all across the skin on my chest. He opened up my shirt wide enough to get a good look at breasts and I just simply turned my head away. I couldn't look at him as he was about to violate me so casually.

"You covered the mark I gave you? You're too cruel to me Bitch chan~."

Laito's fingers glided across my exposed skin and traveled their way up to my bandage. I flinched as his fingers danced around my covered bite mark. It was still very tender and it even itched a bit. Even though it was healing, it was a bit like an irritating throb of pain.

"Laito please leave it alone, it still hurts."

I wiggled a bit trying to stop him from tampering with it any further, but that only seemed to spur him on. I had forgotten for a second that he was right between my legs, so with me flailing about underneath him, I was able to quickly tell that he was quite thrilled with this prospect.

"As I said before Bitch chan, if its hurting, then I'm doing something right."

As those words left his lips, he pressed his finger over my bandage. I yelped out in pain and twisted my body trying to move out of the way of his finger that was causing me pain. My eyes welled up with tears and I had to bite down on my lip to keep myself from screaming out. I turned my head away so that he wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Laito finally took his finger away from my bandage, and I let out a breath of relief. I then turned back to face him with a heated glare, in which he only chuckled at my angered expression. Oh how I wished I could hit him across his face again. I was for sure that I wouldn't regret it this time. Laito then began to play with the strap of my bra by pulling it and letting it snap against my skin.

"I must say, you have better taste in your undergarments than her."

He must've meant Yui. How'd he know what kind of underclothes she wore is something that I wasn't too keen on finding out. He continued to toy with my bra strap while chatting casually away.

"Purple suits you. Do you want to know a little fact?"

Not sure if that was a compliment or not but I couldn't help but be curious and I shrugged. I'm sure that whatever answer that I would have chosen, he still would've said what he wanted.

"The color purple is a sign of compassion and sensitivity. So it suits you."

He had my full attention at what he had said. So that was a compliment then? My face no longer wore a scowl, but it softened a bit. Considering my current situation, I shouldn't be feeling happy about him giving me a kind remark. I was about to say something to him, that is until I felt him violently rip off my bandage causing me to scream in pain. I quickly shut my mouth and gritted my teeth to bare with the sharp pain he had just inflicted on me. I could feel my wound burning and throbbing in terrible pain. My chest moved up and down rapidly with my quick pants. I was trying to calm myself down and wait until the pain died down to tell him off.

"You...you...bastard."

He simply tossed away the bandage and ran his hand through my hair. Smirking, he leaned down and slowly licked at the bite mark. To be honest, his cool tongue felt kind of nice against my hot wound. It was calming and I was able to relax a bit. Laito noticed my mellow appearance and his mouth curled as if he had more planned. With his mouth still lingering over my chest, he whispered.

"The color purple also means that one can be easily taken advantage of and mislead. As I said, the color suits you~."

Of course it wasn't a compliment. I should've known better, I just didn't learn my lesson. Sure he was a conniving, manipulative bastard, but I continued to let myself fall in his traps. Like when he had me on my kitchen floor and I started to cry because I was scared of what he may do to me, he removed himself from me and backed off. I thought that he actually grew sympathetic and felt bad at seeing me cry, but I that was only wishful thinking. Letting my guard down caused these two wounds on my chest and a whole day of feeling half dead.

Now here I am in this situation yet again. Thinking that he gave me a heartfelt compliment and it was only to give him an opening to cause me more pain for his pleasure.

He continued to lick at my chest and even pressed his tongue onto the two holes. Him doing that caused me to hiss in pain and at the same time sigh in relief. No not again. I was feeling a tinge of excitement from this. It was another unavoidable sensation. Laito saw how much my reaction switched up from earlier and took full advantage.

He began to rub his pelvis against mine. I let out a small reluctant moan at feeling something rub against my core. My eyes closed shut trying to block him from my vision as he was doing these things to me. While he was grinding himself into me, he was gliding his tongue across my chest again. I dared to open my eyes and look at him, he had blood on his lips. With all the tampering he's been doing to it, my wound must've started bleeding again.

My breathing became heavy and my legs tightened around Laito's waist to stop him from rocking his hips into mine. Of course he didn't see that as a bad thing, he saw it as nothing but a challenge.

"You can pretend to not feel anything, but your body is being more honest than that mind of yours."

Laito then sat up and sat back on his legs while looking down at me. With his body no longer hovering over mine, my legs fell from his waist but I couldn't close them. He was still preventing me from doing so. I had no idea what he was planning next, so Even though I couldn't, I attempted to close my legs while I thought I had the chance. But before I could try and get my knees together, Laito's hands stopped them from trying to connect.

"Did you also know that both pain and pleasure are quite the lovely duo? All I have to do is find what makes you fall and you'll fail to resist."

My eyes widen at what I was seeing before my eyes. Laito's head was slowly heading between my legs. I became absolutely hysterical and started to panic.

"Laito! Are you insane?! What do you think you're doing!"

I was trying close my legs but I only ended up kneeing him on the side of his head knocking his fedora off of his head. He stopped mid way and ran his fingers through his hair. The look in Laito's eyes was a warning sign enough and I knew that I had just dug my own grave with what I had done. He simply stared at me and wore a simple small smile on his face. I didn't know what to say to him. An apology? No way. What good was that going to do? An apology had already been proven a fruitless effort. While I was going through a whole thought process in my head, Laito had laid both of his hands on my inner thighs and spread them apart roughly.

This was on a whole new level of humiliation. His hold on my thighs was so tight that I knew for sure that I'd have bruises there tomorrow morning.

Winching in pain, I opened my mouth trying to say something. Anything that'll halt his actions, but nothing came to mind.

"You're not going to say 'sorry' for hitting me again? Or maybe you were about to but then realized your present state at the moment."

Laito looked me dead in my eyes as he spoke to me from in between my legs. Its like he was reading my mind, or maybe I'm just too predictable. We haven't known each other long at all and yet it seems like Laito knows me more than I know myself. I didn't know what to say, but I just decided to be honest with him and admit it.

"You're right. I...I was going to apologize. What good what that have done though? It wouldn't stop you from having your way with me again."

Feeling Laito's grip on my thighs lessen a bit, I started to relax a bit. I didn't want to let my guard down again, so I stayed alert at whatever else he may do.

Even though his grasp on me wasn't as rough anymore, he still had his hands there, squeezing them.

"Knowing that it does no good for you, you still considered the thought. Why?"

I hadn't expected him to ask me a question. Why'd I thought about apologizing to him regardless of all the things he's done to me, I had contemplated that very thing myself. I honestly don't know really. Maybe it was only natural for me. I wasn't a mean person. At least I didn't think I was. I just did what felt like the right thing to do.

"I'm...just like that I guess. I'm not a malicious and unforgiving person, but I'm also not a saint either. Even though I shouldn't, I still find myself being patient and polite with not only you but your brothers too. I suppose I just can't help but give people a chance."

Laito just stared at me with a blank expression. Not knowing what to do, I maneuvered myself into trying to sit up, only for Laito to roughly grip my thighs tight again. The sudden pain, caused me to fall back down onto my back. Laito's head found its way back in between my legs. He laid his head against my thigh and began running his fingers along my skin. Each time he did that, he got closer and closer to my pelvic area prompting me to try and pull away from him. He only held me down more and tighter so that I wouldn't wiggle out of his hold.

"Sweetheart, I think I'm starting to become rather fond of you~. I can tell that its not going to boring with you around."

He looked up at me with his brilliant eyes while planting small kisses along my thighs. It was quite the most gentle thing that he's done to me and it took me by surprise that he was capable of being gentle. Of course as expected, those soft touches were only temporary. I then felt a sharp pain run up my leg causing my hips to jerk and my back to arch at the immediate discomfort.

I looked down at him only to be greeted with his glassy eyes gazing up at me. I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling and just gritted my teeth waiting for it to be over. I hated that he was drinking from me yet again so soon. I mean I didn't want this to happen again any time in the future, but I had just gotten a little bit better from the night before. This is surely going to be worse than before.

I began to feel dizzy and my eyes started to close slowly. I went to push Laito away from me but I forgot that my hands were in a bind with my ribbon.

Laito had his eyes on me the whole time he was drinking, no doubt satisfied with my submissive appearance.

Since I couldn't push him away with my hands, I attempted to pull my leg away from his mouth but that only made him hold on tighter and suck more violently. Okay he was definitely taking much more than before. Does he not know restraint. For goodness sake, he almost killed me because he got greedy.

"Stop...you're being...ravenous..."

I felt Laito's lips leave from my leg with one last slurp as if he didn't want to waste a single drop. He got up from between my thighs and crawled his way back up to linger his body over me. There was blood dripping from his mouth and onto my face. I moved my face to the side so that the blood could stop falling on my cheek. Laito grabbed my face in his hand and twisted my head back so that I could face him. He could have broken my neck at how hard he turned my head. I took a moment to explore his features. I had done so before, but I couldn't hell myself. He was dangerously handsome and stunning to look at. Can a guy be considered beautiful? In Laito's case, most certainly. What attracted me the most were his eyes. You could feel yourself delving into them and wanting to drown yourself in them. It was truly an unlucky thing that someone this beautiful could have such a devious and twisted personality. It was even more terrible that despite all he's done to me, I couldn't help but be attracted to him.

He was directly in my face and all while those thoughts were running rabid, my face started to blush again. I'm truly despicable.

"Oh what's this? Did my Bitch chan enjoy herself?~"

I could feel my forehead wrinkle up like a raisin. Without even thinking about how weak and in pain I was in, I somehow managed to bring my knees up towards my chest and then knee him in his stomach and pushed backwards off of me. He fell back with a thud and on his backside. After luckily getting him that far from me, I sat up and scrambled as quickly as I could away from him. Bringing my wrists to my front, I began to work at the ribbon that was tied around my wrists. While I was untying my wrists, Laito casually got up and dusted himself off. Soon after, he bent down and picked up his hat and sat it back on his head.

"I was wondering when you were gonna hit me. This was fun. Let's do it again soon~."

With enough effort, I managed to get loose of my binds. I wasn't too hasty to stand up, knowing good and well that I would've just tumbled right back down to the floor. I was drained, literally. I didn't even have the energy to speak but my mouth ended up moving on its own.

"I'd rather not. Just...leave me alone."

Laito's giggles made my ears feel like they were listening to nails on a chalk board. I just wanted him away from me. Just away.

Laito gave me one last smile and walked away leaving me alone in the shadowed area we were just in. What if he had killed me? He would have just left my body right here for someone to find it. He was the epitome of an inhuman, bloodthirsty sadist who got his amusement by watching others suffer and struggle under his hand.

My hands found the wall and I carefully stood to my feet. My legs had no strength in them and my inner thighs were so sore. Laito held them so harshly that I was praying that there were no bruises. I was wearing a skirt, so I had hoped that my skirt was long enough to hide most of the damage that was done to me. I picked up my ribbon off the floor, and tied it back in its proper place on my uniform. After getting my uniform back in order, I slowly made my way towards the school's infirmary. I'm already guessing that I've missed my first class seeing as how it must've been a while since Laito dragged me away like that.

Thankfully, the halls were clear so no one was able to see how ill I was. Slowly but surely, I managed to get to the nurse's office okay. I didn't knock first, I simply couldn't wait another minute to lay down in one of the beds.

"Excuse me? Nurse?"

I didn't get a reply, so I had only guessed that no one was in here. Sighing, I just looked around for a place to lay down.

"I'll just lay in a bed until someone comes in."

My knees shook as I dragged my feet to the first bed I saw behind a curtain. Not worrying about kicking off my shoes, I plopped down face first into bed and drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Yui's Pov**

The bell had just rang and Hiyori was no where in site. She's very diligent, so it was very odd that she was late. I sat at my desk while constantly looking towards the door wondering when Hiyori was gonna walk inside. She was right behind me as we were making our way to class, but then again, Laito kun was bothering her before we separated. I wanted to help her by pulling her away from him but Ayato had no intent on waiting for me while I helped Hiyori.

Sighing, I could barely keep myself still and I was tempted to make up an excuse to go and look for her.

It was too late for that plan anyway, because the bell for class to start had already rang. That's when I saw Laito kun strut into the classroom with his usual carefree smirk displaying on his face. I felt my stomach twist into knots at what I was suspecting.

My nose twitched, catching a very familiar smell. I caught the scent while we were all in the car, but it was very faint. It was blood. Not just blood. It was Hiyori's blood.

As Laito kun made his way to his seat, I turned towards him with a scowl shadowing my face. Laito kun saw me staring at him and merely spoke in such a nonchalant tone.

"Ehh? What's that look for?"

Laito kun's face wore a very unconcerned appearance and he feigned a clueless expression. I knew exactly what he had done and I felt myself getting very upset on the inside. This is exactly why I haven't bothered making friends anymore. Every time I attempted to make a friend, the brothers would ruin it. Ayato especially, considering that he gets so jealous and refuses to let me get too close to anyone. He has gotten a bit better though, he just doesn't want me around guys. That still didn't mean that he liked whenever I tried to socialize with new people. It was bothersome yes, but I chose this lifestyle and I decided with my heart that this is what I truly wanted. I loved Ayato and I wanted to be with him forever, even if that meant making me what I am. I had no regrets. Even though I don't regret my choices with Ayato, I still just wanted a friend to confide in and to laugh with. It wasn't my intention to befriend Hiyori, but it was something that just happened. She reminded me of myself a bit and I suppose that's what pulled me towards her.

As I was deep in thought, the teacher had suddenly walked into the classroom and closed the door. Which had snapped me out of my thoughts almost immediately and I went to sit up straight to attention in my seat.

"Good evening everyone. Today we'll mostly be taking notes, so listen up and write down what's important understand?"

Oh thank goodness that's all we're doing for today. I can easily lend Hiyori my notes for this class.

After everyone got settled in their seats, Ms Nakayama began calling out attendance. When she got to my name, I raised my hand stopping her from continuing.

"Sensei sorry to interrupt, but Hiyori fainted in the girl's restroom earlier, so she'll be absent from this period. I just wanted to let you know."

Ms Nakayama held her pen towards the corner of her mouth and nodded.

"Thank you for letting me know Komori. Do let her know that I hope she gets better and make sure that she gets today notes."

I dipped my head slightly down as I answered her.

"Yes ma'am."

Obviously I had no idea where she was, but I didn't want her to get into trouble. A little white lie won't hurt. After I took my seat, Ms Nakayama had finished up with attendance and then had jumped straight into today's topic and began talking while writing on the board. As the teacher was lecturing on today's subject, I couldn't help but constantly peek at Laito kun out the corner of my eye after I heard him snickering under his breath. It was evident that he had done something to Hiyori and I could only hope that it wasn't nothing too bad. I wanted so badly to ask him what happened to Hiyori but I knew it was gonna be in vain. He wasn't one to just help out an individual without a price to be paid. It still wouldn't hurt to try though. When the teacher's back was to the class, I used that chance to lean in towards him and whisper to him as discreetly as possible.

"Laito kun, where's Hiyori? You were with her earlier so what happened?"

Laito simply pretended to focus on the board while softly humming.

He was purposely ignoring me. I know he did something to her, I could smell her blood on him.

Frowning, I reached over tapped his desk lightly.

He finally turned to look at me and lifted his brow. I then asked him again.

"Laito kun...Where's Hiyori chan?"

Laito placed his finger on his chin and looked up towards the ceiling. Then he glanced at me from the side and shrugged.

"Didn't you say she was in the nurse's office?"

I unconsciously stomped my foot on the floor under my desk without even thinking about it. I swear Laito was so troublesome. I was trying to be as quiet as possible but that surely did not work out well.

Ms Nakayama stopped what she was doing and turned around looking in my direction. Before she could say anything, I quickly apologized.

"Forgive me ma'am. There was a cockroach."

I took a piece of paper, and pretended to wipe the invisible bug off my shoe. After crushing the paper into a ball in my hand, I gave the teacher a lopsided smile.

Ms Nakayama simply shrugged off the minor interruption that I caused and went back to what she was discussing on the board.

Sighing, I took another glance towards Laito and just gave up for the time being. Wherever Hiyori was, I just hope she's okay.

...

 **Back to Hiyori's Pov**

I began stirring in my sleep after being partially woken up by the sound of a bell. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but I can tell that it must not have been for long. Looking up at the clock on the wall, I saw that first period had just ended and pass time was currently going on. Students were already making their way to their next class.

I slowly began to sit up while holding my head in my hands. I felt worse than before. Laito had already drank from me not too long ago, so for him to drink my blood so soon after the first time, clearly took a toll on my body.

I looked around and noticed that I was all alone. I guess the nurse still wasn't here. I turned my body and swung my legs over on the edge of the bed attempting to stand up. Before I could stand, I heard the door opening up with a loud slide. The abrupt noise caused me to stop moving and wait to see who it was that entered. If that's the nurse then good news for me, but the person who actually entered the infirmary put me in a much better mood.

Without even giving me a chance to say 'hi' to her, Yui hurried towards my side and hugged me tightly.

"Hiyori! Are you alright? Oh no, you're burning up. Let me get you an ice pack."

Without letting me utter a single word, Yui rushed to a cabinet that was up on a wall and opened it pulling out a blue packet that was palm sized. I didn't even notice the medicine cabinet when I came in here. Well I was pretty much half unconscious when I came in here, so my train of thought was completely gone.

Yui was by my side yet again in an instant with the ice pack.

"Here, this will help."

Yui gently laid the pack on my forehead and lightly began to push me back down on the bed. She was totally mother henning me right now. She sure was the nurturing type, and I bet she'd make an awesome mother or wife. As happy as I was to see Yui, I still felt like a mess and I needed to get to class and I'm sure Yui needs to also.

"Yui as much as I'm glad to see you and as much as I appreciate you caring for me, I need to get to class. I've already missed my first period and...oh no. What if they put me down for cutting?!"

I hastily sat up straight in bed and went to stand, only to have my legs give out on me and I fell right back onto the bed. With me sitting up the way I did, the ice pack that was laying on my head, slid off and laid flat on the floor. Yui bent down to pick up the ice pack and held it in her hands.

"Hiyori calm down please? You're not feeling well at all. I think you should take this evening off and rest."

Shaking my head, I sighed and laid my hand on my chest.

"But Yui..."

Yui put her hands on my shoulders and lightly pushed me back down on the bed.

"No 'buts'. Just please rest. I'll make sure to let your teachers know that you aren't well for today and that you aren't skipping."

Yui pulled the thin covers over me and went to get me a new ice pack to replace the one that fell on the floor.

I laid in bed feeling so bad for having Yui here tending to me. She herself had to get to class but she was spending time here making sure that I was okay.

Yui walked back over to the bed but this time she came back with a chair. She sat the chair on the side of the bed and sat down next to me. After she settled in her seat, she handed me my fresh ice packet. I reached up and grabbed him with a sullen look on my face. Yui saw how upset I looked and concern quickly clouded her eyes.

"Hiyori what's wrong? You look...upset."

I pulled the covers over my face and groaned out loud in frustration.

"God I feel so bad. You're here taking care of me when you should be in class. Yui you're always so kind to me and I feel like I've been depending on you too much. You've been helping me even when you don't even realize it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you're always going out of your way for me."

Once I was done saying what I had been feeling, I didn't hear anything from Yui. So I peeked a bit out from under the covers to see how Yui took in my words. I wasn't the only one in the room looking sad. Now it was Yui.

I sat up slowly so that I wouldn't get light headed again and grabbed Yui's hand.

"Those words weren't meant to hurt you Yui. If they did then I'm sorry. What part upset you? All of it?"

All Yui did was hang her head low and shake her head. Sighing, her eyes slowly made their way to meet mine. She looked as if she was regretting something. Her hand squeezed mine and that's when she finally spoke.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. Its me who should be apologizing to you."

I frowned in confusion. I tried to think back to what Yui could have possibly done to me in which she'd have to say sorry for, but not to my surprise, I couldn't think of anything that she could've done to me or have said to me.

"You? But Yui you've done nothing wrong. You've been nothing but good to me. What do you have to be sorry for?"

All Yui had done was shake her head. Even though we haven't known each other long, I had never seen Yui look so down. She's always smiling, always patient, polite, caring and very positive. So to see her not sporting her usual bright personality had me very worried. What could be troubling her so much.

I squeezed her hand tight and gave her a smile.

"Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me. We're friends right?"

All sadness seemed to have dissipated from Yui's eyes and they were once again full of reassurance. I didn't want to be the only one depending on the other in this friendship. I wanted Yui to depend on me as well sometimes. Whatever she needed to release, then I would gladly be there to lend her that helping hand whenever she needed it. Just like all the times she's been helping me, I want to help her too.

Yui and I stared at each other for a while longer, until Yui broke the silence.

"Hiyori, I...I know what Laito did to you."

My face went completely blank and my eyes glazed over as if I was subconsciously trying to ignore what she had just said. What did she mean she knew? Wait a minute. How could I forget, she's living with them. So does that mean that she's fully aware that she is living with a Vampire? Not just **a** vampire, but a family of them.

"Hiyori I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. I never wanted any harm to come your way. I'm sure you already have figured out that Laito is a vampire, but so are the rest of his brothers. As I've told you before, due to certain reasons, I had to live with them. The time that I started living with them, things...happened. Things that I'd never thought would happen to me. Hiyori, I also have something else to tell you..."

There was no proper way to absorb any of this information. Yui blurted out as much as she could in such a short amount of time. While processing all of this, I managed to temporarily drift off in my head. Fortunately, I had snapped back into reality and turned towards Yui to hear what else she had to say.

"I'm...a vampire as well."

Not realizing what I was doing, I was slowly pulling my hand away from Yui's. What was there to say to her? Was I angry? No. Shocked? Yes. My emotions were storming on like crazy.

I felt Yui grabbed at my hand, but I didn't hold hers in return.

"Hiyori? Please say something..."

I wanted to say something to Yui. I wanted to tell her that I didn't care that she was a vampire. I wanted to tell her that we could still be friends no matter what, and yet...I couldn't say it. I didn't want to tell her what I felt was the right thing to say. If I did that, then it wouldn't be genuine in the slightest.

I took a deep breath and then released it. I tried to look Yui in the eye but I would always feel my eyes drift off to look at an empty space behind her.

"Yui I...I honestly don't know what to say. Well...that explains why you're so cold haha..."

I gave a half smile at Yui hoping to lighten the mood a bit with a little joke but Yui's expression told me that she was more concerned with what I thought of her now that she just told me that she's a vampire. Even though I was at a loss for words, the only thing I could say, was the truth. If its the truth, then all will be okay. Yui will know my sincere feelings on this whole new discovery and she will handle it the way she feels is best.

Gripping Yui's hand, I got rid of my complicated feelings and I mustered up whatever sense I had left and looked Yui square in the eye.

"Yui...I'm...so confused. Am I scared of you? No. Do I hate you? Not in the slightest. Am I baffled by all of this? Yes. This is so much to take in, so much to accept. I get that its not easy to tell someone that you're a vampire, so the fact that you kept it from me, only meant that you didn't want me to...be afraid of you right?"

Yui only nodded her head.

"Well...um...I'm not scared of you."

Yui's face seemed to have relaxed a bit. Only a tiny bit though.

"That's a relief then."

The air between Yui and I, felt so thick and uncomfortable. We both just sat there in silence as if we were trying to see which one of us would say something to get a new conversation going. What could either of us say though? There's no true ice breaker than Yui coming out and telling me that she's living with a family of vampires and is also a vampire herself. I do admit, that I do have questions, but now is clearly not the time.

Hearing Yui sigh loudly, I removed my hand from hers and laid both of my hands in my lap.

"Hiyori I want to apologize for what Laito had done to you."

"Like I said before, you have nothing to be sorry about Yui. Its that lecherous Laito that should be sorry not you. Please stop apologizing on his behalf. You haven't hurt me in any shape or form."

I don't know why, but I felt the urge to reach out and pat Yui on her head. I was already patting her on her head before I even knew I was doing it. Yui face lit up in surprise and confusion. I pulled my hand back and felt my face flush with embarrassment.

"Oh Yui I'm sorry! I have no idea why I just did that. You're not a pet, you're a person."

Yui simply stared at me with her bright wide eyes. I couldn't tell if she was bothered by what I did or felt offended by my odd gesture. Those thoughts were put to rest when she started giggling, and then it turned into a full on laughter. All embarrassment had left from my body and I found myself laughing right along with her. We had to have been laughing for a short while but it felt longer than that. The sound of the bell had unfortunately stopped Yui and I from laughing. We both looked towards the clock.

"Whoa look at the time. Seems like we've both missed second period Hiyori."

I sighed while shaking my head.

"Unbelievable. I've missed 2 classes already and I just started here."

Yui stood up from her seat while looking down at me.

"Don't worry Hiyori. Our first hour was only taking notes, and I took a lot. You can copy mine of course. And I also told sensei that you weren't feeling well, so she knows that you didn't skip."

I reached and grabbed Yui's hands while swinging them happily.

"Yui thank you! You're a godsend I swear. But what about second period we both missed?"

My only concern was that Yui risking trouble while coming to look for me. If there is a punishment, then I'll gladly take the fall.

"Relax. All we have to do is go to the faculty office and go to our teachers and ask for any assignments we missed during that time."

I gave Yui an unsure stare and she chuckled.

"The teachers here are very...lenient towards good students. So we should be fine."

Giving Yui a sly glance, I let go of her hands and folded my arms. So even a sweet girl like Yui has a side like this.

"So you're taking advantage? I'm seeing a new side to you Yui. I'm surprised."

Yui scratched at her chin and bashfully looked away from me.

"Well this is a special circumstance. Besides, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble when it wasn't your fault."

I could tell she was feeling guilty about what Laito had done to me and not telling me the truth about all of them sooner. She probably felt that if I'd known about them earlier, I would've been able to avoid them. All of them, including Yui, then I wouldn't be here now sick in bed. But I didn't want to avoid Yui. I could deal with not bothering with the Sakamaki's but that's gonna be inevitable because Yui and I are friends. So I'm bound to come into contact with them almost every time Yui and I are together. But to be honest...

"Yui, I want us to continue being friends. Those brothers are a pain and are quite troublesome, but if I'm able to continue being friends with you, I'll put up with them all day any day. I don't regret meeting you and I hope for us to deepen our friendship."

Without even responding to my words, Yui pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank you Hiyori. Just...thank you."

The sound of the bell for class to start caught our attention. We pulled away from each other and I jumped out of the bed. I was still not steady enough to be standing but I had to get to my classes.

"We'll finish this when we have time. Okay Yui?"

Nodding, we both were about to take our leave out of the infirmary and head on to our classes. Not before I took my iron pills though. I looked around for my bag and saw that it was laying flat on the floor. Leaning over, I reached and grabbed my bag. Yui saw me pulling out my bottle and her face became visibly curious.

"Do those work for you Hiyori?"

Shrugging, I took two pills out the bottle and laid them in the palm of my hand.

"Well I've only been taking them for less than 24 hours, so I'm not sure yet."

I looked around to find a sink and made my way over to it. I grabbed a paper cup and filled it with water. Cupping the two pills in my hand, I leaned my head back and put the pills in my mouth, then took a gulp of water almost emptying the cup. After swallowing the medicine, I took a huge breath and poured whatever water that was left into the sink down the drain. I noticed that Yui was looking at me all worried again. I gave her an awkward smile and wiped my mouth.

"I'm sure they'll start taking effect if I continue to take them properly."

Yui sighed and stared off into space as if she was thinking about something. Concerned, I walked over to her and patted her shoulder.

"Yui, we should be getting out of here. Are we still on for the cafe tomorrow?"

Yui's face lit up as if I'd surprised her with something.

"You mean...you still want to hang out with me?"

I lifted my eyebrow utterly confused at her question.

"Of course I do. Like I said Yui, I regret nothing and I want us to be friends. I don't care what you are, you're my friend first and foremost. Now let's get out of here, finish our classes and get ready for our day out tomorrow."

Forgetting my weakend state, I grabbed Yui's hand and pulled her along with me as we ran towards our rightful classes. Yui caught by surprised at my suddenly assertiveness, almost didn't grab her school bag as I ran out of the classroom with her. As we ran in the hallway, I looked back at Yui and saw that she was smiling.

...

Other than the fact that I almost passed out a few times, I managed to make it through all of my classes for the day. After Yui and I were done with all of our classes, we both met up by the faculty office so that we could talk to our teachers about how to compensate for missing class. It was just as Yui had claimed, our teachers were very forgiving of us and were more than willing to let us do some make up work for what we missed for the classes. I kinda felt like a teacher's pet with how they were so lenient with us. I mean I'm no teacher, but I'm sure it was a pleasant thing to have well behaved students who had good grades and didn't give them a hard time with classwork or homework. I'm sure they are more than happy to allow certain privileges to "special" students like Yui and I. Yet to use that kind of thing to my advantage was completely out of character for me. I'm not worried though, because it won't be happening again. I'll make sure to avoid that.

Yui ended up leaving before me but not before giving me a hug and saying goodbye. I'm sure that Yui was very pleased with me accepting her for who and what she is. It still makes me uneasy but not in a bad way. Its just that someone like Yui being a bloodthirsty supernatural being was just something I couldn't fully process in my mind. I mean with how the Sakamaki's behave, I can definitely imagine them being a creature like that, but soft spoken and kind Yui Komori? Hard to believe of course but Yui was my one and only friend and I didn't want to let her being a vampire, get in the way of that. Dad told me that personality was everything and from what I've seen from Yui so far, she is surely entitled to the word 'Friend'.

Sighing, I made sure to grab my belongings and head out to take myself home. I couldn't wait to get home and finally be able to lay down. Being physically and mentally exhausted, I was more than happy to gather my things and leave school grounds.

Before I could even make it towards the exit, I suddenly heard the soft sound of music. I looked up and down the now almost empty hallway trying to locate the source of where the music was coming from. I walked towards the stairs and looked up. It sounded as if it were coming from the floor above me. It sounded like a...Piano? Whoever was playing, they were amazing. I found myself walking up the stairs towards the music. As I ascended the stairs, the tune from the Piano got more and more clear. Once I made it to the top, I looked up and down the hallway using my ears to lead me in the proper direction. I began walking slowly trying to pinpoint which room the piano was coming from. I then stopped in front of a door that had a poster taped to it saying _'Light Music Club Please Join'._

I reached my hand towards the door handle to open it, then I stopped realizing something. I then had a flashback from that time in the Library. I didn't think I would get a repeat of that time but I just wanted to avoid any other possible situation in which I did not want to be in the middle of again. I wanted to turn away and just go home like I was suppose to do, but I found myself really curious of whoever was behind those keys. I myself have played piano before but I was never good at it so I just gave up on it. Though occasionally, at my previous school, I would sometimes go and listen to the club members play their instrument pieces. Despite me not being able to play very well, I did manage to learn _Clair De Lune_ but only a little bit.

The Piano hit a certain tune that brought my attention back to my surroundings. Now that I'm right outside the room, I could hear what piece they were playing. It was _Moonlight Sonata_ by _Beethoven_ and whoever it was, they are playing it oh so heavenly. Not realizing my actions, my hand slid the door open slowly and I was greeted with a wave of classical music. I walked in carefully and slowly not trying to startle whoever was in the room. I didn't want to make my presence known, so I just leaned back against the nearest wall with my eyes closed letting myself be taken in by the breathtaking piece.

Being caught up in the music, I almost didn't notice that the playing had stopped. My eyes slowly opened up trying to see why the piano had ceased to play any further, only to be greeted with a pair of brilliant green eyes. Should I even be surprised that Laito is here in front of me yet again, no. Should I be surprised that he was the one playing one of _Beethoven's_ pieces oh so effortlessly on the piano, yes. I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover. One of Laito's hands was flat against the wall on the side of my head while the other laid on his hip. He was quite close to me, but not too close to where I wouldn't be able to escape if I needed to. Not knowing what to say, I dropped my bag on the floor and I simply stared back at him.

"It's quite flattering that you continue to spy on me, but as flattering as it may be, it is also indeed quite impolite my darling."

Laito wasn't sporting his usual carefree smile that he usually shows me, he was just staring blankly at me with emotionless eyes. Had I really upset him by coming in here? Maybe he wanted to be alone at this moment in time and me entering his space ruined that. Yet why should I care if he's upset? He's been nothing but a rude and crude lecher towards me, it shouldn't bother me that I interrupted his "Me time". Still though...he actually seems bothered and for some reason, I didn't want him mad at me.

Licking my lips, which had suddenly gotten dry, I open my mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. Its just that you were playing and I heard you from downstairs so I just came here out of curiosity. I had no idea that you play piano, you play very beautifully Laito san."

Oh no I'm rambling on. I cupped my hands in front of my stomach and began shuffling my feet. I was looking everywhere but at Laito's face. I was about to speak up again, that is until Laito stopped me with a light chuckle.

"My my bitch chan, you're too kind. Would you like to sit with me while I play?"

His usual cheerful smile was back on his face as if he was a different person just now. His abrupt mood change almost caused me to miss his offer.

"S-sit with you? Oh no I shouldn't. I need to be on my way home in fact."

I tried to move past him but the hand he just had on the wall, swiftly grabbed my hand and tugged me quite roughly towards his body. This action prompted me to fall into his chest right under his chin. Surprised by the quick notion, I nervously lifted my eyes only to see him looking back down at me. Being this close to him, I had never felt so small before until now. He was looking down at me like I was some defenseless animal that had just lost their way and ran into the arms of a predator unknowingly.

Feeling his arms wrap around my body, made my heart jump, and not in a good way. Surely he felt my heart beating so hard and fast close to his chest like this. Seeing as how he clearly wasn't going to take 'No' for an answer, I begrudgingly decided to take him up on his offer.

"Well...if you insist."

Laito's face brighten up at my answer and he pulled away from me but still had our hands locked tightly. He began pulling me towards the piano he was just playing. There was a bench in front of the piano big enough for two people. Laito sat down first and then patted the empty spot next to him.

"Come come~."

Not wanting to keep him waiting, I sat down right next to him. I was on edge right now. There's no telling what Laito was going to do to me, the guy's just unpredictable. Just now he went from being utterly bothered by my presence, to inviting me to sit by his side. My body was as still as a statue and my shoulders were tensed up. I had to be on guard this time, I'm not letting him get the better of me again.

"Do you play?"

Laito's question surprised me a bit, causing me to jump a bit in my seat. My action didn't seem to deter him in the slightest bit though. He simply sat there waiting for an answer.

"Well I...played a bit. I eventually stopped though. I wasn't getting any good, so I just put it aside. I still enjoy listening to it though."

Without thinking, I slowly put my hands up on top of the piano keys. I began to play a small part of _Clair De Lune._ Even though my hands were shaking a bit, I managed to play the tune pretty well.

"You should be more confident when you play. You sound as if you're performing for someone's funeral darling. Here like this..."

Laito then laid his fingers over the keys and began to play _Clair De Lune._ I watched as his fingers elegantly glided along each key with ease and his posture was so relaxed as if there wasn't a single stressed bone in his body. For that brief moment, I found myself envying Laito. I was never that sure of myself or carefree. I was always the one that worried about things having to be perfect or just right, otherwise it'd be a disaster in my eyes. Instead of just going in and doing something while worrying about the possible outcome, I should just dive in and let everything go.

I placed my fingers back onto the keys and began playing along side with Laito. I found myself actually keeping up with him, which surprised me quite a bit. Going from crescendo to decrescendo, Laito and I were very well in sync with one another. It felt nice, and it was almost if I was having fun with him. No longer was I tense and no longer was I afraid of going all out without worrying about the possible end results. In this moment in time, I was feeling...happy.

I was so engrossed in playing, that I didn't even noticed that Laito had stopped and was staring at me. Finally realizing that I was the only one playing and Laito's gaze was on me, I quickly pulled my hands away from the keys and placed them in my lap. My face was bright red and I couldn't bring myself to look, let alone even peek in Laito's direction.

"Why'd you stop? You appeared to be enjoying yourself so much. You looked so cute playing with an adorable sparkle in your eyes."

I felt Laito play with a strand of my hair while he gave me compliment after compliment. I wasn't going to take any of those sugar coated remarks to heart, seeing as they were simply a front so that I'd let myself be wide open for his possible advances.

I moved away from his touch and stood up from the bench.

"I should be going now. I guess I should be thanking you."

Laito's surprise was very evident. He wasn't the only one who was surprised though. I hadn't even been thinking when I said that. It just...slipped out I guess.

"Oh? And what for may I ask?"

I felt myself getting all flustered again. I released a breath that I didn't even know that I had been holding.

"You played piano with me. I mean, like, you helped me. Because usually when I use to play, I didn't find myself having fun at all but with you just now, it was fun."

What in the world am I saying? My words are just flowing out of me without even trying. Why the heck am I opening up to someone like Laito? Maybe, despite how immoral he was, I found myself being able to speak to him freely. Minus all of the things he's done to me, he seems like the kind of person that you could have a pretty decent conversation with.

Still though...

"Well you're very welcome, but..."

As Laito stood up from his seat, I found myself backing away from him. I knew it. I should've left sooner. I should've bolted out that door as soon as we were done playing.

"As much as I appreciate your thanks, you can't possibly think that'll compensate for what I've done for you."

He's obviously not the type to do something for others without expecting anything in return. I guess I should've put more thought into it before opening my mouth.

"So do I owe you a favor?"

I knew what he wanted, it was clear as day, but I just chose to play dumb.

Laito moved from behind the bench and stalked his way towards me, each step he took my way, I took a few steps back away from him.

"Now now bitch chan, I know you aren't the stupid type. Naive yes, but not stupid."

Frowning at his insult, I wrapped my arms around my body as soon as I felt my back hit a wall. Without waiting any longer, I ran towards the door to open it, but the sudden slam of a hand against the door stopped me right in my tracks. Instinctively, I laid both of my hands on the sides of my neck and made sure my legs were closed tightly together leaving no gap, so that Laito wouldn't try anything funny.

My defensive posture had Laito's full attention, yet he simply smiled.

I glared at him as he causally stared back at me.

"No. Just no. You've drank from me too many times, not too far apart. I'm still healing and I'm already tired. If you drink from me again, I won't even make it home. Instead of you drinking from me, why not I just owe you or something?"

I'm actually trying to negotiate with a Vampire, but not just a vampire, a vampire named Laito Sakamaki. Despite how unsure I was at my offer, Laito actually appeared very curious.

"Hmmm~ Owe me?"

Taking that as a sign to continue, I went on to do so.

"Yeah. Like other than my blood, I can...do something else for you."

Placing his finger on his chin, he backed away from me and seemed to consider my proposal. Then he smiled down at me.

"Your blood seems to be the easiest form of payment. Who's to say you won't keep up your end of the deal darling? Hm?"

He closed the space between us yet again and I pushed myself harder into the door behind me.

"I will I will! I just don't want you drinking my blood right now! You'll kill me at this rate..."

Laito took a step back and gave me a once over. His eyes ran over my body from head to toe. He folded his arms as if he was checking me out as if I was worth anything. Then once his eyes met mine again, he simply chuckled.

"But bitch chan, if I did kill you, that would only show my undying love for you."

My jaw dropped and my breath got caught in my throat shocked at his words. Removing my hands from my neck, I stood up straight with a lost look on my face. My heart felt as if it stopped and then restarted again. He thinks if he kills me, that that's his way of showing his possible love for me? That's not only illogical, but its just outright words of a madman.

With my mouth still wide open, I shake my head and blink furiously.

"Wait a minute...you think...? Don't tell me that **that's** your definition of 'Love'?"

Laito gave me a puzzled expression at my question. As if what he just said, was so matter of fact.

"To kill someone that you love, only further proves that the feelings for their lover will forever be eternal."

There's no way he was serious. Here I was already thinking that he's someone that I should avoid and should be utterly terrified of, but now, this boy was certified insane. He pretty much just admitted that he would kill me out of love. Love? That's not love.

"Laito, that is not love. That's just a sick and twisted view on what only you see as sincere love. You don't love me."

Laito simply tilted his head to the side and stared at me with an apparent innocent intent behind them. He couldn't possibly think that he was in love with me. If anything, the only feelings that I've picked up from him, is blood lust. He's been after me for my blood and my blood alone.

As I was staring back at him, he made his way near me, closing the gap. Laying his forearms flat against the wall on both sides of my head, he pressed his forehead onto mine and only smiled. I wanted to turn away from him, but with him so close and our eyes locked in a gaze, it felt like a difficult thing to do. So the most I could do was lay my hands flat on his chest to ready myself if I needed to run away. Pushing him has proven useless, but maybe if I'm lucky, he'll let me push him away from me.

"You speak as if you have experience in it. Have you ever experienced an intimate, and intense kind of love that makes your body feels as if its burning from the inside out? The kind of love that hurts you so much, that you want nothing more than to share that searing pain with the one you hold so dear. Now tell me my sweet Hiyori, is that not love?"

Hearing him say my name for the first time, caused my heart to jump in shock. As long as I've known him, which hasn't been long, he's never called me by my name.

Removing one of his arms from the wall, Laito caressed my cheek lovingly with the back of his hand. His surprisingly gentle touch, caught me by surprise and I felt myself not moving away from his hand. Which his hand was shockingly very soft and smooth for a guy.

"I can't really say that I know what love is, because to me, there really isn't a true definition for it, but I can say that you Laito, haven't the slightest idea of what love is suppose to feel like."

He removed his hand from my cheek and backed away from me. After he gave me some space, relief washed over me and I stood up straighter than before. I couldn't read Laito's face yet again. He didn't seem curious or bothered by what I said, but I can never be too careful when it came to this boy.

Laito smirked and adjusted his hat.

"If there's no true definition for it, then how can you say that I don't know what it truly is?"

Folding my arms, I huffed.

"I'm simply saying that you can't go around using that word so loosely. You saying you love me is just...a lie. What you feel for me isn't love, lust maybe but not love."

Cocking an eyebrow at my last statement, Laito laughed almost uncontrollably.

"Didn't I tell you that Love and Lust are one in the same. How so very naive you are~."

"Love and lust are **not** the same. Love is something entirely deeper than that. Lust is just a bunch of...sex craved thoughts about an individual who one may not know anything about."

My rant caused Laito to bend over laughing again but not for very long. Soon after he was finished laughing, he slowly looked up at me and our eyes met. His eyes were hazy looking and full of heat, whereas mine were clouded with fear and worry. Without giving it a second thought, I turned around and went to open the door, only for Laito to grab me from behind in a swift motion and wrap his arms around my body practically lifting me up off the ground. With his arms secured around my midsection, he placed his chin on my shoulder and turned his face into the crook of my neck.

"You are truly a pleasant little treat."

Laito's tongue swept across my skin leaving a moist trail along the way.

Why does he keep doing that? Its disgusting and annoying. Mostly disgusting of course. There's no telling where this pervert's mouth has been.

"Can you stop doing that? Its...very uncomfortable."

While squeezing me tightly, Laito rubbed his nose on the back of my neck, sniffing me.

"But you taste so good. You smell nice too~."

I wanted to pull away but I didn't want to waste any energy when all he was gonna do is increase his grip on me. Not to mention, I wasn't strong enough to barely nudge him away from me, let alone push him off of me. Other than earlier, which was pure luck at best. I probably can't see myself kneeing him off of me again.

I then felt Laito softly breathing on my neck and went to panic.

"Wait wait, what are you doing?! Didn't I say that I can do something else for you other than you taking my blood?"

Laito sighed but still had his mouth on my neck.

"Okay. I'll humor you and take you up on your offer. But of course, whatever I propose, you can't go back on your end. Understand my love?"

Hearing him call me his 'Love', caused an eerie chill to run up my spine. I managed to hide my disgusted expression and nodded agreeing to the terms. Seeing my indication that I was okay with everything, Laito spun me around in his arms so that I was facing him. He still had his arms wrapped around me, so we were pretty much chest to chest right now. It was very embarrassing to look down between us and see my chest so close to his. I turned red in the face and dared to look up at Laito. Which was an obvious stupid thing to do on my part.

Laito gave me a look that pretty much spoke for itself. God he was such a perverse person.

"Don't look at me like that...its just...ugh nevermind. Anyways, what is it should I owe you?"

Laito reached up and ran his hand through my hair lovingly.

"Hmmm...how about I invite you for dinner?"

My face must've shown my obvious confusion, because Laito simply chuckled and then patted my head. I shook my head, attempting to stop him from touching me so causally.

"Are you...asking me out on a date?"

Scoffing at my assumption, Laito shrugged his shoulders and playfully pinched my cheek.

"If that's how you want to see it, then be my guest but I think you'd prefer a date with just two people instead of a lot of people."

Still lost, I scrunched up my face not catching on to whatever he meant.

"Sorry but I don't understand...what do you mean."

Tilting his head to the side, Laito finally gives me a straight answer.

"I'm telling you to come to my house for dinner. Lend me your company for the night and I'll consider going easy on your blood."

Raising an eyebrow completely unsure of this arrangement, I sighed.

"You're asking me to go to your home for dinner, that seems a bit..."

Not giving me a chance to finish my sentence, Laito hoisted me up and took me to the piano. Without a warning of any kind, he plopped me on top of it with my legs dangling from the edge. The sudden drop caused an aching pain to travel up my backside. I winched and went to rub my aching behind, all the while scowling at Laito's abrupt roughness.

"What's the matter with you?! That really hurt."

I found myself calming down my attitude, the second he placed his hands flat on the top of the piano on both sides of my hips. Leaning in, he whispered.

"Is that a no? Because if it is, I can just take you right here and now~."

I went to scoot backwards away from him, only for him to quickly grasp my hips stopping me in my place. I hate whenever he does this kind of thing. The positions he always puts me in, are so lewd and dirty. I didn't even realize that he had placed himself in between my legs. Moving away from him would only worsen the situation, he'd probably pull me closer to him, letting our pelvis' touch. Just the thought of it, made my heart race.

Laito was slowly easing his face closer to mine as if he was about to kiss me, I hurriedly put my hands up covering his mouth and stopped him from coming any further.

"I-I'm not saying no...its just...you know...I guess I was shocked by your invitation to your home. I'll do it. I'll go for dinner."

Letting out a light laugh underneath my hands, I felt something wet slide across the palm of my hand. I quickly pulled my hands away from his mouth after he licked me. I wiped my hand on my skirt and sighed annoyingly. Laito sat up straighter, giving us both space.

"Aww that's a shame, I was hoping that you'd say no. However, if you still want to do that..."

My face was burning at his proposition and I put a stop to his words.

"No! I'm not ever doing that! Especially with you!"

Without even realizing it, I managed to catch him off guard and push him as hard as I could away from me. He stumbled backwards catching himself. Not wanting to wait for him to recover, I hopped down off of the piano and patted down my clothes so that they didn't look disheveled. Laito didn't seem fazed by what I did, he only brushed it off as if he was use to it by now.

He started making his way back to me and I immediately put up my guard. Raising his hand near my face, his two fingers caught my cheek and pinched me as if he was talking down to a child.

"My my, virgins are so cute~."

Slapping his hand away, I found myself stomping on his foot. I doubted that it was gonna bother him but I didn't care, I just wanted to hit him. He let out a low groan and stepped away from me. He simply shook his foot and sighed nonchalantly.

"Have you no shame?! Anyways, I'll go to your home for dinner. That's it. Nothing else."

Clapping his hands together, Laito put on the most innocent of smiles and suddenly hugged me tightly. His hug was tight but also very snug, as if he was hugging his favorite stuffed animal.

"Wonderful wonderful Hiyori chan~. I assure you, this will be fun, for both of us."

There it goes again, he said my name again. I was only used to his insulting nickname he had for Yui and I, so for him to say my name like that out of nowhere surprised me for a second. A very small part of me deep down, actually felt a tinge of happiness at hearing him call me by my name. Without even being aware of my surroundings, Laito cupped my face and stared into my eyes.

"Let's seal the deal with a kiss shall we?"

Before I could comprehend anything, his mouth connected with mine. I quickly went to push him away, but his arms were secured around my body so I couldn't get away. My eyes were wide in shock as he kissed me so deeply. I examined his face as he kissed me, his eyes were closed and he seemed to be very relaxed as if he does this kind of thing all the time. Which of course I'm sure he does, seeing as how experienced he was. I hated to say this, but it wasn't as bad as I was complaining it to be. Kissing him was something I did not want to do, let alone expected but it felt...kind of...

Right as I could feel myself falling into the kiss, his tongue entering my mouth snapped me right out of it. His sudden intrusion caused me to bite his tongue on reflex. Blood quickly filled both of our mouths and we pulled away from each other at the same time.

After we separated, I started spitting out whatever fluid of his was in my mouth. Wiping my mouth furiously, I composed myself a bit and found myself staring daggers at him.

"Your tongue was not necessary Laito!"

While blood dripped from his wet lips, Laito's face stretched into a cheeky grin and he calmly ran the back of his hand across his mouth smearing the blood a tiny bit on the corner of his mouth.

"You were enjoying it so much, I simply thought to make it more delectable for you~."

My shocked and breathless appearance must've been very apparent, because I swear I could feel my body heating up with frustration and anger, yet I could feel how ashamed and uncomfortable I was. I hated that he was right and I hated that he could tell so easily, even though he had full control over the kiss. I mean I was barely doing anything and he knew that I was drifting off into him like that. Clenching my fists, I shook my head wanting to deny all of it.

"No...None of that was _**delectable**_ in the slightest. I didn't bite your tongue for no reason."

Folding his arms, Laito merely observed me while humming haughtily. As if he was amused by me being in complete denial about what just transpired.

"Its so cute when you're in denial about something so normal to feel. If that's how you behave with a small kiss on the lips, I can't even imagine what your response would be if I were to kiss you..."

Laito trailed off at that sentence and at first I had no idea what he was referring to. That is until I saw his eyes wander down further to my nether regions and then his tongue peaked out from between his lips.

Red hot in the face, shaking where I stood, I reached down and gripped at my skirt tightly with my legs pressed snug together. My heart was thumping so hard, that I could hear it echo loudly in my ears. I stood there unmoving and looking down at my feet.

"Oh what's this~, Did I catch your interest finally?"

With my frustration reaching its peak, I found myself yelling.

"No!...I just...you are so... _ **sigh...**_ "

I puffed my cheeks and cleared my head, trying to pretend that I didn't just hear his indecent thoughts which were spoken aloud. I walked over to my bag and picked it up. Once I picked up my bag, I turned around to face Laito to say my good byes to him for the evening.

"I'm not even going to feed into it anymore. Anyways, Good night Laito. I will, sadly to say, see you at school tomorrow. Oh and...sorry for biting you and thank you again for the piano session."

Laito causally smiled and tipped his hat in my direction, as if he was mocking my politeness.

"The pleasure was more than mine, my love."

Cringing at that last part, I turned around and opened the door taking my leave.

...

I didn't even notice that I was a bit late getting home. Dad's car was in the drive way, so he was clearly home. I hope he didn't wait up for me, surely he's down right tired. I should've called or texted him to let him know that I would be home late. He probably would've been shocked that I was using my cellphone. I have Yui to thank for that anyways.

I unlocked and opened the door to hear the Tv on in the living room. Sighing, I kicked off my shoes and went further inside to see Dad sleeping on the couch with the remote in his hands.

"Dad you didn't have to wait up. What in the world were you thinking."

I walked over and took the remote from him, turning off the TV. I tossed the remote on the couch and shook Dad.

"Dad? Dad wake up."

He started to stir in his sleep and then his eyes slowly began to open up at the sound of my voice.

"Hiyori? _**Yawn...**_ you're a bit late getting home. Something at school kept you?"

I nodded and huffed while shaking my head.

"Yeah, it was just...school stuff. If I'm going to be late I'll be sure to let you know okay? I still wish you hadn't waited up for me. Go get in bed. The couch is far from comfortable."

Dad sat up and stretched his arms while standing up.

"You're right about that. Okay I'm going. Also, I'm leaving earlier in the morning, just a heads up. Goodnight sweetie."

Bidding Dad a goodnight, I went off to my room my self. Tossing my bag on the floor, I quickly went to change into my sleeping clothes. I forgot about my phone being in my bag, so I went to grab it and check it. Of course no messages or anything else. Just Yui's info and nothing more. I sat my phone on my nightstand next to my bed, and then I plopped right into my bed with nothing but Laito heavy on my mind.

Laito had kept me for quite a while in that room causing me to return home so late. But then again, I suppose all blame can't be aimed at him. I mean I did go there of my own free will but only out of curiosity. Curiosity that got me into another unwanted situation with him of course. I constantly keep telling myself that I won't allow myself to be tricked or baited by him and yet I keep walking into his obvious traps. Its even more terrible because he's not even trying to snag me, its all because I'm so naive. Perhaps he was right to say that. In his eyes, in his world, I suppose I was naive. I've never gone through anything like that of the sort in my life, so it would only be natural for me to not know how to react to his advances and behaviorisms. Still though, I may not have the experience as he does but I do have the power to protect myself as much as I am able to. I've got to give myself many pats on the back for the fact that I've laid hands on him quite a few times. Though I did apologize for a few hits though.

Rubbing my hand over my face, I tossed and turned in my bed unable to sleep.

As soon as I tried shutting my eyes, my phone suddenly went off. My eyes shot open and I reached out to snatch up my phone. It was a text but I didn't recognize the number. I opened it up and when I read it, my jaw dropped.

 _"GoodNight my precious Bitch chan xxx ~"_

How did this bastard get my number?!


	8. Chapter 8

Damn that Laito. I almost couldn't get any sleep last night because of his surprising text message. He had my phone number and that alone is so alarming. I already cannot stand his very presence, and now he has my actual contact information. His harassment will no longer be just physical anymore thats for sure. Unless I change my number, but I didn't want to go through all that when Yui already has my current number, and Dad would probably want to know the reason for me wanting to switch numbers all of a sudden. He'd be even more curious considering the fact that I don't use my phone at all, so why would I need to change the number. I couldn't possibly tell him that it was because of a boy that wouldn't leave me alone. He'd most definitely freak out about something like that. Not to mention, who's to say that Laito won't manage to possess my new number if I did change it. However he got it the first time, getting it the second time wouldn't be so diffcult for him I'm sure.

Laito is constantly putting me into a state of shock and building up so much stress onto me. Honestly though, nothing he does should no longer surprise me anymore. I mean he did somehow break into my home without a single trace of entry whatsoever, so it shouldn't surpise me that he somehow got my phone number.

I laid in bed for a few minutes while staring at my phone. Now when it rang, I'd have to be very careful. Its no longer Yui that's going to be contacting me occasionally, it's now that bothersome Laito.

I groaned and grunted out loudly while stretching in bed, and then slowly got up into sitting position. Dad had already left, so its just me for the morning. After getting up, I opened my curtains to bring a little light into my dim room. It was a bit cloudly today with some sun. That was fine by me, the more the sun hid, the better.

Then it dawned on me, I just remembered that Yui and I were going to hang out today. She said she wanted to take me to a cafe she was familair with. I wonder what time she wanted to go.

I went to pick up my phone to look at our past messages to see if she texted me the time and it said early evening in front of the school. I then began to go through our messages going over our past conversations. There wasn't much history but it still felt nice to have a friend that I could talk to and now hang out with. While looking through the messages, I came across an unknown number and a very annoying text message. The very same message that shocked me to receive last night, to the point where I almost didn't get any sleep.

Sighing, I simply tossed my phone back on the stand and went to leave my room. Dwelling on that sick pervert wasn't going to do me any good this morning, besides, Yui and I are going to have our first day out together and I refuse to have it ruined with the thoughts of Laito the Lecher.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I was about to go into the kitchen and whip me up something, until all of a sudden, I heard a chim come from my room. It was my phone.

Going back in my room, I quickly went to pick up my phone and flipped it open.

"Yui? This early?"

I opened the message and read it.

 _"Hiyori, I hope I didn't wake you. Once you read this, give me a call when you have the time."_

My forehead crinkled up in confusion. Why did she want me to contact her so early in the morning. Maybe something happened and we may have to cancel today's plans. If so, that's fine. There's always next time.

I wanted to call her right then and there but I needed to put some food in my belly. With my phone in hand, I went into the kitchen to make breakfast.

After cooking me up some breakfast, which consisted of an omelette and some orange juice, I placed my dirty dishes in the sink and went to sit on the couch. Picking up my phone from the table where I placed it, I got comfortable and called Yui.

After listening to a few rings, I finally got an answer.

"Good morning Hiyori, I wanna apologize if I disturbed you so early in the morning but I needed to talk to you."

I frowned, wondering what she wanted to discuss so early in the morning. Whatever it was, she sure did sound like it was something urgent.

"Is there something wrong? You sound troubled."

I heard Yui let out a half chuckle and a sigh. She seemed as if she was struggling with to come about whatever she was attemtping to say.

"Well...I just wanted to apologize. Again on behalf of Laito's actions yet again."

At first, I had no idea what she could've been referring to, but then I had a quick flashback to last night before I went to bed. That out of the blue text message from Laito. Sighing, I ran my hand over my face.

"Yui, I keep telling you that you don't have to say sorry for that boy's actions. I do admit though, he did...surpise me last night with that stunt he pulled."

"Hiyori I'm so sorry. And I know you said I shouldn't but I feel responsible for him being able to get your number. He got it from my phone afterall."

Of course he did. I should've known. He and Yui live together, of course he'd snoop through her phone and steal my number. I hadn't even thought of that possibility.

"That jerk. To go through your phone without your permission and take my number. I was almost tempted to change it, but it'd be pointless as we both know."

Yui laughed.

"Oh sorry, I suppose I shouldn't be laughing. It was wrong of him, and unfortunately that's just how he is. I just had to call you and explain. Ayato and I were about to enter my room, when I saw Laito sitting on my bed going through my phone. Goodness, it was almost a brawl last night."

My eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"A brawl?"

Yui hummed.

"Ayato hates when his brothers are in my room. He says, and I quote, that he doesn't want their stench anywhere near me."

Lifting a brow, concern filled me.

"Ayato kun is very...possessive don't you think?"

Hearing Yui chuckle uncomfortably, I felt myself regretting what I just let slip out my mouth.

"O-oh Yui I'm sorry! It just slipped out! I was thinking it and it just...ya know...came out."

Yui immediately shook off my statement with a small giggle.

"Oh no no, you're right. He is very possessive, yet at the same time protective. He'd never out right say it, but he really worries about me. He doesn't show it in sweet ways, but he shows it in ways only I can understand. I do understand and appreciate your concern though, it shows how much of a good hearted person you are."

Feeling myself be so touched by what she said, I couldn't help but lay my hand on my chest and sigh dramatically.

"No Yui...you're the good hearted person!"

We both laughed loudly at my dramatic response and carried on with causal conversation. We talked about our plans for today, when we'd meet up and so on. We talked for at least an hour, which felt like only a few minutes. So this what it was like to have a nice friendly chat with a good friend. When we did finally hang up, It was pretty clear that neither one of us wanted to end the call. She said sorry once more of course before ending the line.

After hanging up from Yui, I looked at the time and saw that it was still pretty early, so I decided to go in my room and look for something nice to wear for Yui and I's outting. I grabbed my phone and made my way into my room.

After about 40 minutes of rummaging through my dresser and closet, I managed to find something nice to wear. It was a pair of white jean capris and a turquoise thin strap tank top. I wanted to keep it simple yet just right for a nice day out with a friend. I rarely go out, so when it comes to clothes, I don't really have a creative or colorful collection of them. I've gone out shopping for something new each season, but once I do pick something, Its usually just a couple of bottoms and shirts. Not only that, they're always just plain and not all that stylish. At least to me. I'm a simple and causal girl, so I always pick comfortablity over style when it comes to my clothes. I suppose I should start changing that real soon. I want to try and actually "be a girl" I suppose I should say.

Once I laid out my outfit, I went to my bra and panty drawer to find something that'll blend well with my clothes. Dark underwear for my bottoms and dark bra for my light colored shirt. My tank top was kind of transparent, so a black bra would be more than fine.

Now that I think about it, I guess aside for my clothes, my undergarments are something I actually love shopping for the most. They always have so many different kinds of styles and material, be it lace or cotton. I hadn't even noticed how provocative my underclothes were.

 _Purple suits you..._

"Hmmm..."

 _Purple is a sign of compassion and sensitivity..._

Taking a look at my collection of underclothes, I took note that I had a lot of purple and black. I reached into my drawer and pulled out a lace purple and black padded bra set. I had just brought this set a few weeks ago, so I've yet to wear it. Taking a closer look, its surely too lewd for my usual tastes. Why on earth did I purchase it in the first place? The color perhaps? Well the shade of purple and black went very well together.

"It suits me...?"

I grabbed the set, walked over to my mirror and put it up against my body checking to see how it looked.

"Did he...really mean it?"

I pressed it up against my body as close as I could to see if it fitted my figure perfectly and to see if the shade was actually the right color for my tone of skin. Turning left and right, observing the front and back, I was trying to see if something this alluring really deserve to be on someone as plain and simple as me. I'm no model, so why bother buying stuff like this.

"Well...at least purple actually does looks nice on me..."

 _Sign of compassion and sensitivity..._

I sighed thinking about Laito's comment towards my undergarments. Whether he meant it or not, what's his opinion matter to me anyway? Even though I know this, I constantly kept replaying his words in my head, I could practically hear him right next to me in my ear, so close behind me, with his arms wrapped around me. I hadn't even noticed that I brought my fingers up to touch my lips remembering him kissing me so causally and suddenly like that. That's actually the second time he's kissed me. If only he wasn't such a perverted jerk, I might even consider him to be...a little bit...

I shook my head of such thoughts. Realizing that I was actually thinking about Laito in such a way, I gasped in absolute shock at my unexpected thoughts of him and threw my bra and panty set harshly to the floor in disgust.

"What the hell is wrong with me? Thinking those kinds of...of...things about him!"

Frustrated and appalled at my thoughts, I went over to my drawer and slammed it shut. There is no reason whatsoever for me to take Laito's fake compliments seriously. I know for a fact he didn't mean them, he simply said those things to throw me off and catch me off guard again.

I plopped myself down on my bed and laid my arm across my eyes.

"What does his thoughts matter to me. Of course he didn't mean it. I shouldn't be letting myself get worked up over this. That...sick and twisted immoral creature...The nerve of him."

Even though I feel so angry and annoyed by him, my mind refuses to waver from him. Its not interest. I know that for certain, but maybe its because he and his family aren't excatly normal by any means. This is something entirely new to my life, so that might be the reason. Or maybe there's more I need to learn about vampires. I know the gist of things about them, that being that they're bloodsucking lustful creatures. Evidently there's more to them than what I've seen on t.v. and read in books.

While I laid in bed contemplating, I heard the doorbell ring. I sat up really quick wondering who could be visiting. Getting up out of bed, I went to peek out the window to see who it could've been. At first I thought it was Yui, but she would've let me know if she was on her way to my house. To my pleasant surpirse, it was Yusuke. Not waiting another second, I hurried to open the door.

"Yusuke? Hi its good to see you."

He returned my greeting with a handsome smile. I looked down and noticed he had a small plastic bag with him.

"Hey Hiyori. Hope I'm not intruding. I brought you something."

He lifted the bag a bit indictating that it must've been something good.

"Not at all. Come on in."

I moved to the side letting him enter.

He came inside, removed his shoes and went over towards the table to sit the bag down and then took a seat.

"Your Dad's not home?"

I closed the door and followed up behind him.

"No. He's at work. He usually leaves early in the morning. So I've got the place to myself throughout the day. What brings you here? Does it have something to do with that bag?"

Yusuke reached inside the bag and pulled out a carton of fresh healthy looking strawberries.

"My mom planted some strawberries in her garden and had more than plently. I told her about you and she insisted on giving you some of them."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You told your mom about me?"

Yusuke noticed my surprise and laughed.

"Don't worry, I didn't mention you as my girlfriend or anything."

My face turned red and I folded my arms clearly embarrassed.

"I wasn't worried about that! I just wasn't expecting you to mention me to your mother is all."

Yusuke shrugged.

"Well we're friends right? I told her about this nice girl that I helped out and of course as mothers do, she hurled questions at me. She probably got her hopes up."

Laughing, Yusuke scratched the back his head awkwardly. I hadn't even thought about Yusuke and I being friends. I guess I've been so happy to hang out and spend time with Yui, I didn't even consider the thought that Yusuke was also a new addition to my life.

I sat down at the table with him and he handed me the carton of strawberries. I opened it checking out each bright red and healthy looking strawberry.

"Well you're right about that. Parents do tend to get overly curious and full of assumptions. And yeah I suppose we are friends."

Crossing his legs, he gave me a feigned look of hurt on his face.

"You suppose? Oh so we've hung out two times, well now three time, for nothing? Hmmm...what shall I do to get into your good graces Hiyori? Shall I bring more fruit to you?"

I bit a strawberry and then tossed it at him while laughing. He simply bent down to pick it up after it tapped him and fell to the floor.

"Oh ha ha very funny. I didn't mean it in a bad way. Its just...I don't really have that many aquaintances I should say."

Yusuke tossed the half eaten strawberry into the closest trash bin.

"Well, you have one now. So we're friends starting today."

Laughing, I nodded in agreement.

"Well two now. I met this nice girl in school on my first day and we're actually going to hang out today before school starts. I would love for you to meet her one day soon. Oh Yusuke she's so sweet and kind, I swear she was sent to me from the heavens."

Before Yusuke could comment on my description of Yui, I heard a chime come from my room.

"Sorry Yusuke, that was my phone. Its probably her, I'll be right back okay?"

After giving me an okay, I jumped up out my seat and speedwalked towards my room.

I picked up my phone and flipped it open. Sure enough, it was a text from Yui.

 _"I know I said that we'd meet up in front of the school, but how about I come to your home?"_

Not even waiting another second, I gave her a quick reply.

 _"Sure of course! Just ring the doorbell when you get here."_

Yui had perfect timing. Just when I was mentioning her to Yusuke, she texted me saying she wanted to come over. With my phone in tow, I made my way back out to where I left Yusuke.

"So, was that her? Your friend?"

Nodding happily, I sat back down in my seat.

"Yup. Seems you'll be meeting her sooner than I expected because she's on her way over actually. I can't wait for you to meet her."

Yusuke saw how happy I was and only smiled while cupping his hand underneath his chin on the table.

"I know I've only known you for a short while but this is the happiest I think I've seen you."

My face started to get warm as I realized how overly excited I was being. I let out a nervous giggle and looked in Yusuke's direction. I shrugged and started pattering my feet on the floor.

"If I can be a little honest with you right now, I've never had uh...friends before. So please excuse my excitement."

I wasn't sure if I even wanted to tell that to Yusuke at all. I mean usually people my age would have at least one friend, but that was never on my agenda. I mean yeah an aquaintance wouldn't have been bad but to actually have someone to talk and hang out with almost on a daily basis was something that I could never find while in school. So I just stuck to focusing on my studies of course.

Yusuke saw how quiet I had gotten and spoke.

"Oh no, don't misunderstand me here. I didn't mean that your excitement is a bad thing. I mean I've seen you smile before but this time, you're like...beaming and such."

I placed both of my palms on my cheeks.

"Really?"

Yusuke nodded.

"Yes really. Of course from what you just told me, you have every right to be happy right now. So don't worry about not having friends before, you've got your friend and I now. Thats all that matters right now am I right?"

I suddenly could feel some weight lift off my heart after he said that to me. He's right. What does it matter if I didn't have friends before. As of right now, he and Yui are now currently in my life and they are truly the blessings that I am very much grateful for.

"Thank you Yusuke. That means a lot to me more than you think."

Yusuke and I talked for a few minutes longer waiting on Yui to arrive. Of course not long after that...

 _ **Ding dong**_

I didn't want to wait a second longer after I heard the bell. I almost knocked over my chair once I hopped up out my seat. Luckly, Yusuke grabbed my chair before it hit the floor. I turned around thanking him while I ran towards the door. Not bothering to peek out the window, I opened the door and there stood Yui looking utterly adorable in her outfit. She was wearing a causal yet very cute baby pink flaring sundress with white sandels. Her hair was even up in a ponytail. I couldn't contain myself and sighed as I took in her adorableness.

"Yui! You look so cute!."

Yui smiled while giving herself a once over and blushed modestly.

"Oh this isn't anything special, but thank you Hiyori."

I moved to the side inviting her inside. As she removed her shoes, I made my way back over to Yusuke.

"Yui, I'd like you to meet someone."

Once Yui removed her shoes, she came towards Yusuke and I. Excitedly, I introduced the two of them.

"Yusuke, this is my friend that I was telling you about. Her name's Yui."

Yusuke stood from his seat and gave a light bow of his head in her direction.

"Nice to meet you Yui...?"

Yui then bowed, deeply, in his direction as well.

"Komori. Yui Komori. Its very nice to meet you as well. Yusuke right?"

Yusuke smiled charmingly and nodded.

"Nanaba. Yusuke Nanaba. Hiyori says that you two are heading out today?"

With her hands cupped in front of her, Yui seemed just as excited about our outting than me.

"That's right. There's this nice little cafe that I love so much. We're going there. You're welcomed to join us if you want to."

I hadn't even thought of inviting Yusuke out with us and I wholeheartedly agreed with Yui's idea.

"That's actually a good idea. Yusuke kun, you should come with us. It'll be fun."

One look at Yusuke's face already told us his answer. He gave a half smile and put his hands together apologeticly.

"Sorry but I can't, my mom needs me today. Perhaps some other time maybe. Besides, Hiyori seemed quite cheery to go out with just you today. I doubt she'd want me there."

I pushed Yusuke's shoulder and felt myself getting all embarrassed again.

"Nevermind, you can't go out with us anyways. Girls only."

After sharing a few more laughs with each other, Yusuke was getting ready to head back home. I told Yui to make herself comfortable while I saw Yusuke to the door.

"Thanks again for the Strawberries Yusuke. I'll be able to make something real nice with those."

Yusuke laid his hand on his stomach and nodded.

"Well whatever it is, be sure to leave me some. It'd be an honor to taste your cooking."

Getting all flustered at his compliment, I simply turned away from him.

"W-well you should get going. Your mother's waiting."

Yusuke bent to slip on his shoes and then stood back up straight to reach for the door knob. After he turned it and opened the door, before he stepped out, he turned to look back me.

"Hiyori? Be careful okay?"

I stared at him with a confused expression on my face. He seemed genuinely worried about me, as if he was afriad something would happen to me. I then I broke out into a wide smile.

"Oh don't worry, I'll be back before its too late. Good thing its still early, we could actually take our time."

I simply thought that Yusuke was just worrying about me going out and wishing me a safe outting, but by the look on his face, I couldn't help but get the feeling that there was something more behind his tame warning.

Yusuke only exhaled as he was about to walk out the door.

"Yeah, Good thing it is. I'll see you later okay?"

He then left with quite a somber looking look on his face. I wondered what was bothering him. He seemed fine not too long ago while chatting with Yui and I. Whatever was the matter, I'll be sure to ask him about it next time I see him.

Making my way back in the room where Yui was, I noticed that she had been sitting down quietly waiting patiently for me to return.

Seeing her politely waiting for me, I instantly felt bad.

"Oh Yui I'm sorry. I should've at least made you some tea or got you a snack or something."

Shaking her head, Yui stood up from her seat.

"No its okay. That's what the cafe is for afterall. We've got a few hours to hang out before school, let's take advantage of it."

I looked at the time and saw that it was fifteen after eleven. We really did have a lot of time. I felt myself getting all giddy again, but that didn't last long because I then looked down at my clothes and freaked out.

"Gah! I'm not dressed yet! I'm still in my sleeping clothes! I didn't even realize I had been dressed this way in front of company."

I covered my face in shame and whined into my hands. I could hear Yui giggling at my current state of distress and she walked over to me and patted my shoulder to comfort me.

"Its okay, its okay. Let's head to your room so you can get dressed."

Once I got dressed, Yui and I were on our way out the door. I made sure that I had my little purse and my house key, then we were off.

On on way there, we talked about this and that but of course, I couldn't wait to ask some of my curious questions. Like one thing I notcied in particular.

"Yui? Um, I don't want to sound like I'm being...ridiculous here but if you're a vampire, then how are you able to be out in the sun? I mean most people know vampires to be not too fond of the sun, so how?"

Yui gazed down at her feet and seemed to be thinking of a proper way to explain it simply to me.

"Of course the stories goes that vampires can die by being exposed to sunlight, but turns out that's not completely the case. At least with us. I asked Ayato the same question and not to my surpise, he didn't really give me an answer. I did ask Reji san though."

I nodded urging her to continue on with her explanation.

"Reji stated that Vampires from a high lineage are able to withstand quite a lot despite what the old stories say."

I folded my arms and frowned. Withstand quite a lot? Thats interesting.

"So like from crosses, churches, holy water and so on? Are vampire hunters real as well? If so have you encountered any at all?"

Laughing at my rush of questions, Yui held up her hand gesturing me to calm down a bit.

"Hiyori you seem very curious. I'll tell you what I can when we get to the cafe alright?"

I nodded excitedly and Yui let out another laugh at me.

This all seems so surreal. I mean, I am now associated with seven vampires and one of them happens to be a very good friend of mine. Of course I'm feeling a rush of curiosity and excitement. These are things only one reads about in books or imagining these kinds of things happening to them. I would have never dreamed of going to a night school and getting acquainted with vampires. I mean, how it came about wasn't exactly all peaches and cream but I don't find myself regretting going through it because I met Yui. With this new experience, I don't think I'm gonna be bored for a while.

We finally make it to the cafe within only a few minutes. I now see why she wanted to meet me at my house instead of in front of the school. It wasn't too far from the school nor my home. I bet she wanted us to walk together on the way there. If that is what she wanted, then thats more than fine by me.

Entering the cafe first, Yui looked around and pointed us to a table by the window. We both sat down and picked up our menus looking at every delicious looking item. I noticed that it wasn't that many people inside and wondered if this place is so popular, why is it almost empty.

Yui must've noticed me looking around the almost empty cafe and giggled.

"I know what you're thinking. You should be happy that its this empty because in the mornings and evenings, this place gets quite lively."

I scratched my chin and chuckled a bit while looking back at my menu. One item caught my attention and I let out a happy gasp. Yui heard me and looked up back at me again.

"I'm guessing you found something really good?"

I lifted my menu and eagerly pointed to the picture on the menu. It was a cupcake that had the appearance of a cute kitten crawling up out of the cupcake and a frosting tail sticking out of the end of it onto the small plate.

"This is too cute to even eat Yui. Awww, the ears and the nose. Who would even dare to eat this adoable creation."

Yui stared at the picture and let out a few awes as well.

"That is cute. Hiyori, you seem to like cute things I see."

I arched my eyebrow at her statement.

"I do?"

Yui tilted her head and frowned at me. As if she was wondering why I hadn't notice my own likeness for cute things.

"Well yes. You get all ecstatic and delighted at the mere sight of something precious. Its adorable. I'm honestly amazed that I didn't see any stuffed animals in your room with how you behave."

I hadn't even noticed my fondness for cute things until now. Looking back on it, I suppose I do have a very high affection for things that are adorable.

"Heh, I guess you do have a point."

Yui and I had suddenly gone quiet, so I figure now would be a good time to bring up some of my thoughts and questions. Right as I was about to open my mouth, a waitress came over to our table.

"Hello. What can I get you two today? Do you want tea or coffee to start off?"

We put down our menus and placed our orders. Yui had gotten a green tea and I got a nice fruit juice for our starter. For food, Yui and I both got similar orders, both of us getting a mixed berry crepe plate. Only hers had mostly strawberries and mine had mostly blueberries. Once the nice waitress wrote down our order, she walked off.

I sighed as if I was relieved to have the waitress leave. As nice as she was, I really was eager for her to walk off because I really wanted Yui and me to talk. Yui saw my face and already knew what was the matter. So she took the initiative.

"Let's talk now Hiyori."

I must've been very obvious for Yui to start the topic. Now I wasn't even sure if questions was something I should be asking. I had plently of other things that I wanted to share with her and those things were about Laito. I want to tell her about Laito's and I supposed deal with one another.

I exhaled and laid my hands on top of the table.

"Okay then. I know I had a lot of questions about...you know what, but I have something else I wanna talk to you about. Its about Laito."

Yui's face grew with much concern and she leaned in waiting for me to continue with what I had to say.

"I don't want to drag into it, so I'm just gonna say it. Laito invited me to come over to his, well to your home, for dinner."

Yui sat up straight and then looked at me with confusion.

"Why would he invite you over for dinner?"

I wasn't sure if I could tell Yui about our ridiculous deal or not. I mean, I know Yui isn't one to judge but I felt that once I told her, I would feel very stupid. I should've walked away, I shouldn't have never went to that music room.

Yui saw me hesitating on my answer and just nodded.

"Say no more Hiyori. Knowing Laito's character, I'm sure he made some kind of deal with you. Am I right?"

Looking down at my lap, I somberly nodded. Well she was sorta right. Except I'm the one who proposed that we make a deal, but I wasn't the one who came up with the details of said deal.

"Yeah. Pretty much. He said he'd go easy on my blood if I accompanied him to dinner at his home. I was thinking of just not going."

Yui openly agreed.

"Then don't. You don't have to if you don't want to Hiyori."

I picked my head up quickly and gawked at Yui's sugestion.

"No way. If I don't, then he'll...chances are he'll do something far worse to me as punishment or something. I'll just go. I mean, its just dinner right?"

Yui looked off to the side and had a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Well its more like a family gathering every now and then. Its just all of us having dinner, but it isn't exactly a nice atmosphere to be into. The brothers loathe the dinners."

After she said that, I felt myself getting chills all over my body for some reason. I mean I don't expect anything less from the Sakamaki's when it comes to making someone uncomfortable and terrifying them, but is dinner with them really such a difficult scenario?

"So why have these dinners if they despise them so much? I'm sure its not like someone is forcing them."

Her face, after my question, seemed to look upset. Her eyes were downcast and her face fully gave away her downhearted appearance. Maybe I asked something that I shouldn't have and thats why she was hesitating on answering me. Right when I was about to say something, the waitress arrived with our food.

"Here you are. If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

The waitress bowed and walked away, leaving Yui and I alone. I don't even think Yui acknowledged the waitress who had just left our table. Whatever was heavy on her mind after my question, I was very worried.

I leaned over with my fork and stole a bite from her plate. The clinking of my fork on her plate brought her back to reality almost immediately.

"Come on Yui. Let's just dig in. We came out to have fun, let's take full advantage of it."

After eating a piece of her food, I gave her a cheery smile. I decided to change the subject and have us move on with our time.

"Sorry about that Hiyori. For spacing out like that. I just thought of something very unpleasant. I didn't mean to ruin our mood."

I shook my head.

"You didn't ruin it. If I asked something or said something that I shouldn't have then I'm sorry. If you want, you can steal a bite from my plate."

At first I thought Yui wasn't going to take me up on my offer, but to my surpirse, she snagged a good looking berry from my plate. After both of her cheeks were puffed like a chipmunk's, I couldn't contain my laughter.

After we were done eating, we sat in the cafe a little bit longer, sipping on our drinks.

"So Yui, being vampires aside, what's it like living with them? I just have a feeling that they may be a bit different at home than at school."

Taking a sip of her tea, Yui's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to find the right words.

"At home? They sure do cause a lot of unnecessary ruckus, especially when it comes to food and such."

Right after Yui said that, she found herself laughing behind her hand as if she had an inside joke going on.

Of course I was curious and asked her what was so funny.

"Oh I'm sorry Hiyori, its just that I was thinking of the first night I moved in with them."

Curious, I raised my eyebrows eager to hear more.

"Well don't hold back on me. I gotta know what they did to make you laugh so much like that."

Yui, still smiling, gathered herself together to tell me.

"Well on my first night, while I was getting ready for bed, I could hear Ayato yelling at his brothers about who ate his Takoyaki. He is just crazy about his favorite food."

My eyes widened in surpirse at the thought of someone like Ayato having a favorite food and acting like a little kid if someone touched it. I haven't even heard the rest from Yui and yet I couldn't contain my smile.

"I got curious about all the yelling and left my room to see what was going on. As soon as I made my way down to the kitchen, I saw Ayato yelling at Kanato saying, "I know you ate it you crazy brat!", then out of nowhere, Ayato goes to the fridge and pulls out a pudding cup."

Yui almost couldn't get it out, but she pulled herself together and went on with the tale.

"Then he just gorges himself with Kanato's pudding cup. Chugging it down like his life depended on it. It wasn't funny at first because the aftermath wasn't too nice but looking back, seeing the brothers act like actual brothers, is pretty funny. They have their moments where you forget that they're vampires."

With a smile still on her face, Yui took a sip of her tea.

So even they have their moments where they are vulnerable. Yeah they may be vampires, but I'm sure they do still feel emotion and such. Not on Yui's level of emotion or behavior of course, but I'm sure those boys have their moments where they act human. But still...

"Then you remember that they **are** vampires and that they **can** hurt you without even trying."

Realizing that I had just let my inner thoughts escape my mouth, I slapped my hand over my lips. I didn't mean to say it outloud like that, but I didn't want to apologize for it. So instead I put my hand down and looked at Yui.

"What you see in them Yui, is what I don't see. I only know them based on the first impressions they've shown me. Most of them have been rude, vulgar, insulting and violent."

Yui's face looked saddend at my thoughts on the brothers. For her to look so upset at my description of them, actually told me something. Someone this polite, considerate, and patient is actually living with these guys. She's living with them and doesn't appear to be frightened, or concerned with her safety. She doesn't even appear like an emotionless doll anymore. When I first saw Yui, she didn't seem to have any emotion on her face. She seemed expressionless and empty, but ever since she met me, she's been smiling and laughing non-stop. I don't think she dislikes living with them at all, maybe she dislikes the idea of not having any other company other than the brothers.

Seeing as I've figured it out, I nodded my head.

"But those are only first impressions. There's no telling how I'll see them the longer I know them. If someone like you are able to live with those boys, someone like you to get so sad at me saying such things about them, then maybe...just maybe, they can't be so bad. I'm sure the longer I stick around, I'll start to see what you see. So don't worry, I'm not having second thoughts or anything, its just I'm starting to look at the full picture. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to see what you see. I'm sure its gonna take a while but I'm not gonna leave my friend."

Watching all of her worry melt off of her face, I offered her a smile, and she happily returned it in kind.

"Hiyori..."

She cares about them and loves Ayato very much but I'm sure that Yui just wanted someone else to confide in, talk with and most of all, have fun with. Just like me.

We spent a while eating and talking about this and that in the cafe. As soon as we were finished, I offered to pay for both of our food. Of course Yui wasn't too keen on letting me do such a thing but I insisted.

Yui then wanted to take me to a clothing store. She said since I liked her outfit, maybe I could try shopping where she shops. Yui was most definitely right about that. These clothes were very cute and pretty but I didn't think that something this stylish would be fitting on me.

While I was going through the racks of clothes, I heard Yui calling my name from behind.

"Hiyori, look at this. I think this'll look very nice on you."

She held up an outfit which entailed blue jean shorts and a mint green blouse. Green isn't a favorite color of mine, but that mint was a nice shade of green.

"You think so? I'm not really too good with getting all dressy. I like to keep my clothes quite causal."

Yui pushed the outfit to me and began pushing me in the direction where the changing rooms were.

"Its not dressy, its very cute yet causal. Just give it a try. I'll come with you, let's go."

Yui began helping me put on the clothes she picked out for me. She even used one of her pins to hold my hair up in a nice bun with a few strands hanging down. It was a messy bun and, by my surprise, it looked very good on me. Yui stood back and let me look at myself in the mirror. I stood facing the mirror and was amazed. I didn't look half bad.

"Wow...I look quite alright."

Shaking her head, Yui laid her hands on my shoulders.

"Not just alright, you look pretty. Very mature too. I don't think I could wear something like this without people thinking I was a kid."

Yui did have a point. She was quite small and petite, so I could definitely see people seeing her as a little younger.

"But I think you'd look cute in almost anything Yui. You're like a doll that some people would be eager to dress up."

Yui blushed and waved her hands in complete modesty.

"No way...I think I'm average at best."

I covered my mouth trying not to laugh too loudly. That's surely another thing Yui and I have in common.

"I think we both should give ourselves a pat on the back every once in a while."

Understanding what I meant, Yui nodded while laughing along with me.

We tried on more clothes after a while. Dresses, shoes and even bathing suits had somehow got into our pile. It was fun trying on everything and making funny poses in the mirror. Once finshed being models, we rounded up the things we were gonna buy. As I said, I don't really care too much of shopping for actual clothes but with Yui, she made it fun for me. If this what its like having a friend, then I don't ever want to let Yui go.

By the time we left the store, the sun was already beginning to set. We went back to my house so that Yui can get picked up from there. As we were walking up towards my house, I saw a small black thing perched on one of the windowsills. This is the same thing that happened when the Sakamaki car came to take me to school. Do bats follow them or something.

Before I could bring up the bat issue, Yui sighed and put her hand on her forehead while shaking her head.

"Sorry about the bat Hiyori. Its just Ayato's familiar."

I turned to Yui with my mouth gaped wide open.

"His what?"

Yui scratched her chin and let out an awkward chuckle.

"Well, the brothers all have bats which are basically like little spys for them. They use their familiars for quite a few things. Like spying, doing certain activities and even driving them to school."

Now there are plently types of familiars in movies and tv shows and so on. I also know that they come in many different creatures, even creatures that don't exist. Familiars even have certain things that they do for their masters, but a bat familiar driving a limo is just too hard to believe.

Yui saw me trying to process what she had just told me and nodded her.

"Yeah I know its hard to believe but its true. There's more to it, but it would take a while to explain."

I felt my questions building up all over again but instead of asking, I just swallowed them down with a sigh.

"So does that mean that his familiar has been watching us this whole time while we were out?"

Nodding, Yui looked at me apologetically.

"I'm almost certain he has. I did tell him that I was going out today while everyone rested."

"Wait a minute, It didn't even cross my mind again, but you guys aren't suppose to be exposed to sunlight right? You said Reji said something about lineage?"

As I asked my question, I unlocked the door to the house and we made our way inside.

"That's what I thought too, that is until I saw Shu san laying out on the balcony listening to music in the Afternoon. There are some things that aren't exactly true, and I found that out bit by bit. Reji knows quite a bit, but he isn't one to just answer loads of questions."

I wonder what else wasn't true about vampires. From what I've seen and heard from Yui, they can eat actual food and now I find out that they actually can survive out in the sun. Even though they can go out into sunlight, I'm assuming that they choose to sleep during the day. I suppose they kinda do stick to some vampric stereotypes.

Yui and I made our way inside and got comfortable. While Yui sat down somewhere, I went to my room to put all of the things that I bought on my bed. When I walked back out, Yui was looking at something on the tv. As she was flipping through the channels, she turned her head in my direction as I entered the room.

"Would you believe me if I told you that its been a long time since I last looked at t.v.?"

"Actually yes. With a household like yours, I doubt you would even need television. I don't think that there would be a single dull moment with them right?"

Yui was more than happy to agree with that.

"That's certainly true. I had to get use to sleeping through their usual antics almost everyday."

Yui sat the remote down, leaving it on some animated show. She definitely seemed like the type to watch something that was for kids. I'm not knocking her for that at all of course, because I love a good animation as myself. Its just that it seems Yui doesn't want to lose her kid heart, so she keeps it by watching shows like that, shopping for cute clothing and even eating adorable little sweets. I'm starting to feel that Yui is more than a friend, more like the little sister that I wish I had.

After a while, Yui and I turned our heads towards the window hearing a car pull up in front of the house.

"Unfortunately your ride is here Yui."

Yui got up from her seat, and I walked her to the door.

"Its been real fun today Hiyori. Hopefully we will have more great days like the one we had today."

I gave a single nod with a smile.

"Same here. I honestly wouldn't mind a sleepover, but then I think of how Ayato wouldn't like that."

Both of us let out a light chuckle at my spoken truth.

"A sleepover would be nice, but as you said, its pretty much wishful thinking. We can always hope though. Well I'll be on my way now, I'll see you at school tonight."

I saw Yui off making sure she made her way safely to the car and then we gave each other one last wave.

I closed the door and went to the television to shut it off. I felt so tired, but not in a bad way at all. For the first time in like, ever, I was exhausted from having fun with a friend. We talked, laughed, and shopped, things that I would never thought I'd be doing. Oh Dad would be thrilled to hear how my day went with Yui. I still wanted him to meet her.

I practically skipped to my room to get changed out of my current clothes and into my school uniform. While laying my clothes out for school, I felt myself hesitating on just throwing them on. I've been out all day and didn't even get in the shower. All I did was wash up real good.

I turned my head towards my clock and saw that I still had plently of time to get myself together properly.

I hurried to my closet to grab myself a some towels. Despite having time, I still didn't want to just take my time dilly dallying. I rushed into the bathroom and started my shower.

Feeling absolutely refreshed, I sighed and laid down on my back, on my bed. I turned my head to see the clock and I was good on time. Holding my towel close to my body, I sat up slowly off my bed and stood up. I looked on my bed and saw that I forgot to grab a pair of underwear and a bra. I walked over to my dresser and opened the drawer. There was a specific bra and a pair of underwear that I was looking for, but it wasn't in my pile. I'm pretty sure that I hadn't worn them yet, so I kept digging as deep as I could.

As I was rummaging through my collection of underclothes, there was a voice from behind me. A voice that I did not want to hear at all in that moment.

"My oh my, it seems that I've come at the right time."

I froze in my spot with my eyes wide open and my mouth slightly gaped opened. I couldn't bring myself to turn around to face him right away. As I gripped my towel closer to my body, I slowly turned my head to take a look behind me. There sat Laito, comfortably perched in the middle of my bed. Our eyes met and the moment they did, I felt as if he could see right through my towel. It seems that I can't hang on to a good mood, because as long as he's around, that's going to be impossible.


	9. Chapter 9

Why? Just why? Out of all the things, why did he have to catch me when I'm in nothing but a towel. I swear on everything holy ever since I met him, I've had nothing but constant misfortunes happening to me. I didn't know what to say or do, I simply stood there not taking my eyes off of him. I wasn't sure if he was going to pounce on me or leave me to finish getting dressed. I highly doubted the second possibility.

I finally turned all the way around fully facing him with a look of irritation and a glare that could stop a bullet. All he did was lay there taking in his view of me. I not only could see his eyes roam over my body, but I could pretty much feel them observing every part of me. I held tighter onto my towel and felt myself began to shiver in disgust under his eyes. The silence was becoming very much uncomfortable, and my throat was drying out because my mouth was open and nothing seemed to be coming out.

Laito moved from the middle of my bed, to the edge and sat up with his legs crossed. His sudden action caused my shoulders to tense up and my heart began to race so fast that I thought the entire world would hear it.

"You never fail to excite me my darling. That towel perfectly shows off all the right curves on your body. Unlike bitch chan, you are filling out real nice~."

As he described how much he adored my figure, he held up his hands and maneuvered them in a way which had clearly drawn an hourglass in midair. Laito's tongue peeked out from his lips and he licked the tip of his fang.

It was quite obvious that he wanted my blood, and he wasn't trying to hide that fact in the slightest.

I finally shut my mouth, and swallowed whatever little saliva I had in my mouth down my throat. I was clearly angry at Laito for intruding, and to make it worst, I wasn't even decent. I wasn't sure if I should yell at him or try to control my anger. I was in my very right to be pissed at him and yell to my heart's content but I knew that it would've been utterly pointless to yell at him. So intsead, I took a deep breath, and I finally said something to him. Although, it came out mostly as an annoyed groan.

"Laito...will you let me get dressed?"

Despite my tone being as calm as I let it be, I couldn't control my facial expressions and felt myself roll my eyes as I squeezed out that pointless request.

Laito suddenly clapped his hands together and smiled at me as if he was proud of me or something.

"Ahh, you're so cute when you're trying not to be upset. By all means, yell at me. Watching your face turn all red from anger and embarrassment really is quite the turn on for me."

I groaned in annoyance and grabbed whatever clothes that was in close proximity and tried to head out my room towards the bathroom. I didn't even have the chance to reach the door knob, as Laito suddenly had me in his arms within a blink of an eye. Holding me closely from behind, Laito began swaying his body slowly yet playfully, forcing me to move along with him. My body being so closely connected to his, I had no choice but to "dance" with him in his arms. The clothes I had in my hands fell to the floor because of Laito's movements. I wouldn't even call them clothes, it was just a pair of underwear and bra. That was all I could grab unfortunately. As Laito held me tight, his chin ended up sitting comfortably on my shoulder as he whispered in my ear.

"Aww, are you trying to run away from me my love?"

He knew I hated when he called me that, it made me sick to my stomach. I wiggled in his arms trying to set myself free, but there was an instant consequence to my action. Me struggling was causing my towel to slip a bit from the top, so I quickly pulled it up and gripped it tighter. This is because of him. If he would just go away for heavens sake.

"Laito I'm not playing, let me go and get out!"

The swaying slowly came to a halt, and he pretty much began moving us towards my bed. Noticing where we were headed, I began to struggle even harder regardless of my towel almost slipping off just a few seconds ago. I attempted all that I could to pull away from him, stomping on one of his feet and even trying to elbow him in the gut, but it was all in vain. He was just too strong, and whatever pain I did inflict on him, he shook it off as if it were nothing but a mosquito bite.

Laito eventually released me but he pretty much threw me down in the middle of my bed. I still managed to keep my towel covering my body despite me lightly bouncing on my bed after he tossed me onto it. Laito began to slowly stalk up over my body like an excited hungry predator. Holding himself up with his arms on the sides of my head, he stared down at me. I tried to bury myself as deep as I could in my bed but I didn't feel myself sinking any more further than I was at that moment. Not knowing what to do, I just laid there with my legs shut tightly and my hands locked on my towel.

A smile slowly made its way on Laito's mouth and his fangs made an appearance. My chest began to rise and fall at a rapid pace.

No. He wasn't going to drink from me now was he? He said he wouldn't. We had a deal. A now dumb and pointless deal. I knew that he wasn't going to keep up his end, so why did I trust in him to do just that. Feeling my eyes well up, I turned my head away so that he wouldn't see my tears. Before I realized that I had just bared my neck to him, Laito took one long lick on the side of my neck. I even felt his fangs graze against my skin, causing me to shiver and squirm underneath him.

"Bitch chan if you keep making that face, I may just take you right here. You're exciting me too much that I won't be able to control myself."

Each word that came out of Laito's mouth, was followed by an erotic sigh of breath onto my skin. Laito was hovering above me, with his knees on both sides of my thighs straddling me. I had my arms around my chest and my fingers gripping onto my towel for dear life just in case he, god forbid, tried to rip it away from my body.

As soon as that very thought crossed my mind, Laito's fingers began to dance along my towel covered body making their way up where I had my hands on my towel. I quickly turned my body on its side and buried my face into my bed.

"Laito, out of everything you've done to me, please, just not...not this."

Laito has already seen me in ways that I wouldn't dare to let a guy see me, but it wasn't anything to this extent. I was naked! Nothing! Bare for his eyes to fully take in and see. I wouldn't handle something like that very well.

Laito laid his hand on my shoulder and tried to turn me over back onto my back but I wasn't budging.

"Oh but you've got nothing to be ashamed of. Your body isn't meant to be hidden at all times. I'm only helping you."

Seeing as how he wasn't going to get to my top so easily, he moved on down to the bottom of my towel and began tugging it up. I could feel the air touch my thighs and hips as him lifting the towel began to reveal more and more. Not wanting him to see any more than he was trying to, I turned my body and brought my knee up, hitting him right in his stomach.

"Laito I said no!"

He let out a pained grunt and moved over a bit giving me more than enough space to escape from underneath him. While he was temporarily rendered useless, I rolled from under him and bolted towards my closet and threw open the door. Not caring about what I grabbed, as long as it was some kind of clothing, I managed to snatch up something to cover my nude body. Once I grabbed up some clothes, I bolted towards my door, snatched up my bra and panties that were on the floor and then made it out my room slamming the door behind me and made my way into the bathroom without looking back.

Once I made my way to the bathroom, I shut the door and leaned against it while trying to catch my breath. Without a second thought, I hurriedly put on my unmatching underwear and bra and a pair of pajama pants and a baggy shirt. I was quite surpirsed at how fast I dressed myself but I suppose this was a dire situation, so anything is possible when your back is to the wall.

After I got dressed, I sat on the toliet seat and placed my face in my hands while shaking my head.

"Why does this keep happening to me? Surely there are other people he can harass on a daily basis."

A quick knock on the door startled me up out of my seat. Oh great, he's not finished with me yet I suppose. Why couldn't he just go and leave me alone. Even after I kneed him in the gut, he's still persisting in harassing me to no end. Nothing I do will deter him from coming near me, he'll always find a way to get what he wanted from me. Another knock came from the door and I then glared at the door just done with him and his antics. Thinking it was Laito, I stormed up to the door and swung it open ready to explode.

"What is i-...!"

The words I had prepared stopped on the tip of my tongue. The person who stood on the other side of that door was someone I didn't expect to see for a few hours, my Dad. I didn't know what to say in that very moment. How was I going to explain to him why I swung open the bathroom door with frustration seeping from my body.

Dad tilted his head and stared at me looking completely lost. Frowning his brows, he folded his arms and looked down at me waiting to say something.

"Hey Dad. You're uh...home early..."

Dad nodded his head slowly while still looking at me. I let out a huff of breath and tried to squeezed pass my Dad trying to make my way back towards my room, he got out of my way but not before stopping me as I got near my door. I was praying that he wouldn't stop me, but who am I kidding, that was a wasted effort.

"Hiyori? Is something the matter?"

I turned around to face him hoping that I didn't look nervous or on edge and gathered my words together.

"No...? Why would you ask?"

Dad leaned against the wall and gestured his hand towards the bathroom.

"Well I'm asking you because as I was making my way through the door, I saw you dart across the hall, into the bathroom and slam the door quite loudly. I think I'm allowed to question something like that, especially when it's something that seems completely out of character for you Hiyori. Mind explaing?"

My heart started hammering in my chest so hard that I felt my whole body jerk with each beat. I could not believe he saw that. Why couldn't he come home after I ran into the bathroom. He just had to catch me mid run, what such luck I had.

Not knowing what to say, I simply shook my head, silently denying anything that was troubling me.

Dad sighed while running his hand over his face tiredly. Dad was already tired and such, so I did feel bad for having him worry about me like this. I wanted to tell him something, anything at all to let him know that I was fine, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Yet there was no way I'd be able to tell him the true reason for his daughter's distress.

Seeing as how I wasn't going to explain anything so easily, Dad approached me and laid his hand on the top of my head.

"Hiyori listen to me, whatever's the matter, or whatever the problem may be, you can tell me. It hurts when you keep things from me, especially if you're in some sort of trouble."

Feeling Dad's hand on the top of my head, seemed to have calmed me down a bit but I still didn't know what to say. Well more like I didn't know how to say it. I mean how would he react to me telling him that there's a boy in my room and he's been stalking me since I started school. Coming to an agreement with myself of just coming out and telling him the truth, at that moment, there was a sound of something falling in my room. Both Dad and I turned our heads towards my room at the same time.

Don't tell me Laito was still in my room? I figured that he'd at least have the decency to leave once he heard my Dad came home but clearly he hasn't.

"What was that?"

I turned towards Dad and immediately came up with something.

"Its nothing. Probably my clothes fell over. I kinda left them in one big pile on my bed. Must've tipped over."

Dad was not completely buying it in the slightest and I could tell.

He started to make his way to my door and placed his hand on the knob. I jumped in front of my door surprising him.

"Dad you don't want to go in there. Its um...really messy. I was going through all of my clothes and a lot of my personal stuff is all over the floor. I mean it'd be kinda embarrassing if my Dad were to see those kinds of things."

Dad gave me a side glance hesitating, unsure if he should just drop the whole thing but then another thump sound came from my room. Only this time, whatever it was, it seemed to have bumped into my door startling both me and my Dad. Was Laito serious? Is he really so hell bent on torturing me so much. He couldn't possibly be doing this on purpose could he? I just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear right where I stood.

Accepting the fact that I'm going to be in the biggest trouble that I have ever been in my entire life, I somberly moved to the side giving my Dad the space he needed to enter my room.

"Hiyori, is there something I should know before entering your room?"

With my head down utterly defeated, I nodded and felt my heart drop.

"Just...open the door."

As Dad turned the knob and opened my door carefully, I closed my eyes tight and waited for the whole world to crash right on top of me.

Dad made his way in my room while I still stood outside of it.

"Hiyori, please explain yourself."

I was breathing so fast and hard that I thought I was going to pass out for being so lightheaded.

Not wanting to drag it any longer, I turned and stood there at the threshold and just blurted out what I could.

"Dad I wanted to tell you but...I just didn't know how. Its been going on ever since I started school, and he wouldn't leave me alone. He's pretty much been stalking me and..."

I stopped my words as I saw a small bat flapping around in my room. It was screeching and flying around my room as if it was trying to find a way out. I slowly entered my room with my mouth slightly agape and my eyes following the small black creature.

Dad folded his arms and a very confused yet curious smile slowly began to rise on his lips.

"So you're telling, that this bat has been stalking you?"

My mouth was moving but no words would come out. Dad wasn't the only one who was confused in the room. I myself, was wondering the very same thing. Even though I was curious about the little black rodent flying freely in my room, I was very grateful of its presence. Because now, I have something to substitute from my first plan. Which was telling my Dad the whole truth.

"Uhhh...yes! T-this is gonna be hard for me to explain, and you may not even believe me..."

Dad, with his arms still folded, went towards my bed and sat down clearly waiting for me to say whatever I had to say.

"Try me."

As I stood in my spot in the middle of my room trying to gather up a story, the bat had stopped flapping around my room and had perched itself upside down on my curtain rod.

Taking a huge breath, I began explaining myself.

"This um...bat, had appeared out of nowhere. Well, I heard something smack against my...my...window. Yeah window! It was when I was getting ready for school. I got curious and went to my window to see what it was and of course behold, an injured bat laid flat on my window ledge in agonizing pain."

All while I was explaining my story, I was gesturing and moving my arms about as if I was performing a play for my Dad or something. I wasn't sure if he was buying it, but he didn't seem to change his current baffled expression, so I simply continued on.

"I was very, _very_ hesitant on tending to it, because you know bats have like...diseases and stuff. E-even though I was nervous, I got something and picked it up. Its wing was hurt, so me being little ol' me, I got it and started treating it. The poor thing was crying and wailing in agony, so I treated its wing and fed it and so on and so on until it got better. So uh...now you know why I've been...kinda acting a bit...strange lately. I didn't want you to find out and make me toss him out."

I had my head down pretending to feel gloomy and upset. I was shuffling my feet and twindling my fingers, hoping Dad would say something, anything that indicated that he believed my tale. I hated lying to him like I did, but since there was a chance for me to avoid him finding out about Laito, of course I took that chance without delay.

Scratching his chin and groaning, in what I believed to be relief, Dad stood to his feet and approached me. I stared at him all the while he tried to gather all of what I had just explained to him. I couldn't decipher what he might've been thinking, but all I knew was that my story was ridiculous, and it'd be a miracle from the heavens above, if he believed it. What felt like an eternity, I finally got a response from Dad.

"You are something else you know. I was worried sick that something horrible had happened and you were keeping it from me. As much as I am glad its nothing too serious, I'm still not too fond of having a wild animal in the house."

Dad placed his hand on my head and ruffled my hair.

"Y-yeah, which is why I had a hard time telling you..."

Taking his hand off my head, Dad placed his hands in his pocket and let out a heavy sigh.

"Next time you want to play Vet, please let me know. Well, I'm gonna go lay down for a couple of hours. I have to head back out soon, my Boss gave me the okay to head home for a while but he's heading out of the city for a meeting and needs me there. So don't worry about dinner."

After giving me a peck on the forehead, Dad left my room and headed straight to his bedroom. Once he left my room, I closed the door right behind him and fell to the floor on my knees clutching my chest trying to calm myself down. That was so close. Too close. I can't even imagine my Dad's reaction had he seen Laito in my room on my bed. He probably wouldn't trust me anymore and might have been very hostile towards Laito. Its only understandable but thank goodness that didn't have a chance at happening, because Laito was nowhere to be seen in my room. All that was in my room was a bat. Perhaps it was his familiar. If it was his familiar, then this thing had to leave immediately. Yui told me that they use their familars as spies sometimes. I'm not sure if its like a crystal ball where they can see through its eyes or something, but I didn't want to take that chance.

Getting up from the floor, I walked over towards the creature that was still perched on my curtain rod. I looked up at it staring it right in the face, and in return, its small black round eyes stared back at me curiously.

"As much as I appreciate you being here and getting me out of that jam, you're gonna have to go on and get out of here okay?"

I didn't even consider the thought that it may not even understand me, but I had a feeling that it understood me to a degree. Besides, Yui said that the brothers use these little guys, so surely they speak to them and not use any other form of communication right?

I moved my curtain out of the way and slid my window open, waiting for the bat to get the hint and fly out.

The bat stared at me a little bit longer, not budging one bit. I tried shooing it away with a few words.

"Go on. Go back to your master or whatever."

Right when I thought that the bat wasn't gonna leave, it flapped its wings, quickly took flight and then fluttered out of my window into the evening sky with a loud screeching sound coming from it.

I watched it for a bit longer as the creature got further and further away from my house, then I closed my window with an exhausted sigh. I turned to look at the time and saw that I had time to get ready for school, but not that much. Not wanting to dilly dally any longer, I quickly went to get my uniform and put it on.

Fully dressed and ready for school, I left my room and made my way towards the front door. Slipping on my shoes, I checked to see if I had everything and then I got ready to head out.

As soon as I lifted my hand towards the doorknob, my phone let out a chime. Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out my phone.

"Yui probably wants to ride to school together again."

I flipped it open and saw that it was a text message from a number I didn't recognize. I thought that I didn't recognize it, that is until it dawned on me. Laito also had my number as well.

I groaned while snapping my phone shut. I'm not even gonna read it, let alone respond to it. Knowing him, its probably a message that he knows would rile me up. So I'm just gonna ignore it and go on about my business.

Grabbing my bag and giving myself a once over, I left the house.

I arrived at school feeling pretty tired with the events that occured earlier in my room with that pestering Sakamaki. Why is it that only Laito can exhaust me with just his mere presence. Its like a cursed talent of his or something. Just thinking about what he could have done or saw, gave me the chills all over again. He can easily find someone else to sexually harrass, and I can assure you, that they wouldn't even mind it. From what I saw that evening in the Library with that one girl, he can have any one he wanted and they wouldn't even resist. I know its kind of cold to think that way, but he has been quite evident of the level of charm he has without even trying. I mean seriously, he burns me deep inside with frustration and anger, yet I can't help but find myself sometimes being drawn to him. I don't know much about vampires, but I do know that they are very charming and lustful beings. They use those traits to manipulate, use and seduce their targets for their own benefit. Its just outright appalling. Even more so when the supposed "victims", don't even try fighting. Can lust cloud your mind that much? Does it really overshadow everything in your mind to the point where you actually wouldn't mind being used by someone like Laito or any of the brothers for that matter.

I stood in front of my locker sighing while changing into my other pair of shoes. I shook my head trying my best to clear my thoughts, but the harder I tried, the longer it took for them to fade away.

"Good evening Hiyori, are you alright?"

I didn't even notice Yui approach me from the side. I jumped a bit at her unexpected appearance and greeting, but then gathered myself and gave her a warm welcome.

"Hi Yui. I didn't even notice you had come up to me."

Yui's brows furrowed and she tilted her head curiously.

"Are you alright Hiyori? You don't look so good."

I ran my hand over my face and then leaned my forehead against the cool surface of the locker.

"Its Laito."

As soon as his name left my lips, Yui placed her hand on my back and gave me a gentle pat.

"What did he do this time? You seem really upset right now."

I lifted my head away from the locker and stared at Yui with a look of helplessness on my face.

"He appeared in my home again. Only this time, he was in my room. I had just gotten out of the shower and I...I only had on a towel. Yeah, so you can only imagine how horrible that scenario was for me."

Yui's hand slapped across her mouth in horror.

"He didn't do anything to you did he? Please tell me he didn't..."

My eyes went wide at Yui's worried thought and I quickly denied such a thing.

"No no not at all! I wouldn't even dare let him get that far. I'd kill him before I'd ever let that happen."

Groaning out loudly, I felt myself getting tired all over again.

"Hiyori I wish there was something more I could do to help you, but unfortunately I can't control Laito's actions. I tried talking to him about leaving you alone for a while but he simply didn't take me seriously in the slightest."

I gave a sad yet grateful smile to Yui. Even though there isn't much she could do to control someone like Laito, she at least tried for me and that alone is enough for me.

"Yui, your effort is very much appreciated I assure you. I'm sure Laito will get tired of me eventually, I just have to fight through it until then."

Just as we had finished our conversation, the bell had rang letting us know that class was about to begin. Yui and I went on our way to class while chatting mildly along the way. When we made it to our class, we noticed that Laito wasn't in his seat yet. He's usually either there before us or he'd appear shortly after we've arrived. As we sat down in our seats, we carried on talking while we waited for class to start. It went from simple small talk to me asking her questions about herself and the brothers she's living with.

"So you've never really had any friends since you've been here?"

Yui sadly shook her head.

"Not one. Well, there were times where I would attempt to make a friend or two, but once they found out, especially Ayato, they would do things to drive them away."

My eyebrows shot up in curiosity and I laid my hand on my chest.

"What in the world would they do to them? Torture them, threaten them or something else terrible?"

Yui waved her hands at my thought of what the brothers might have done to her possible friends.

"No nothing like that. They would...you know...just do..."things"."

I couldn't fully follow what Yui was trying to say, but the blush on her face told me everything.

"Are you for real? They were willing? I mean I'm sure they were but just...why? Those guys I swear have no shame."

Yui nodded knowingly.

"If it was a boy that took interest in me, Ayato would pretty much be very confrontational with them, and if it was a girl, Laito and sometimes the others would seduce or harass them. It was far from good for me."

Poor Yui. I can't even imagine being in her shoes living with them like that. Its a house full of aggressive, possessive, and violent perverts. Someone as sweet as Yui was, shouldn't be staying there. How on earth can she stay so strong? What allows her to be able to stay there without a worry in the world.

"Thats how things were in the beginning, but now...I wouldn't dream of leaving."

Yui's whole demeanor changed and her eyes seemed to lighten up happily as if she was thinking about someone truly near and dear to her heart. She's known the Sakamaki's for quite a while, so there are things I'm sure she's seen and experienced with them. Perhaps she may even know their weaknesses just as well as their good points. A part of me is genuinely curious about their possible good points, but the other part just wants to stay away from them all together. Laito in particular of course.

Before I could say anything, Ms Nakayama walked into class just as the bell rang greeting everyone with a good morning with the wave of her booklet.

I noticed that Laito still hadn't shown up for class and looked over at Yui. She returned my stare and shrugged her shoulders.

"Seems like Laito may be absent today or he's probably skipping."

I nodded at Yui's assumption and merely rejoiced on the inside. If he isn't here at all today, then that means I can catch a break from his daily harassment. I felt myself squealing excitedly on the inside at the thought of him being absent for the whole day. I know its too early to assume that he isn't going to be at school at all today, but a girl can dream right?

Yui noticed how relieved I had become in my seat at her stating that Laito won't be attending class, and grinned in my direction.

I let out a relaxed sigh and stretched my arms high above my head, happy with finishing up with my last class for the evening. The rest of the day went on pretty smoothly for me. I hadn't seen Laito at all this evening and I felt as if I was finally getting the break I deserved. Ever since I started school here, its been one thing after another with Laito. I didn't have to, not once, look over my shoulder, or worry about being snuck up on. A small part of me was a bit curious about Laito's whereabouts, but majority of me couldn't care less. He could've gotten trapped in a dungeon somewhere and I wouldn't budge a bit out of worry or concern. Sounds harsh but that's how I feel at the moment. Besides, if he was in that kind of danger, I wouldn't have a need to worry. He's a vampire. I'm pretty sure it takes quite a bit to put down a vampire for good. But if I know Laito, he's probably with some willing naive female student. Just thinking about what he could've been doing in this school at this very moment with a girl made my skin crawl and my body heat up in embarrassment.

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I got my things together to get ready to go on home. Right as I was about to turn and walk on out my class to meet Yui by the entrance, I heard someone call out to me from my classroom door.

"Hiyori?"

I saw that it was Yui who called my name. I was gonna meet her at the front, I wonder why she came to me.

"Hey Yui, I was just about to leave out and meet you. Any reason you came to get me instead?"

Yui entered the classroom and approached me. She looked as if something was bothering her and seemed to be mildly in a panic state.

"Actually yes. We're all about to head on home but Laito and Shu are nowhere to be found. I was wondering if you'd help me track them down. Reji is already tempted to leave them here, but I asked him to wait while I came and got them."

Seriously. How old were these guys? They sound like little kids that are lost in a mall and their mother is searching for them. I was a bit hesitant on answering, because that would mean that one of us had to go in search of Laito.

My face scrunched up in uncertainty and Yui took notice of that. She obviously knows why I'm unsure of accepting her request, so she lays her hand on my arm and smiles.

"Don't worry, I'll be the one to look for Laito and you get Shu. Shu's actually a bit more calmer than the other brothers I assure you."

I rolled my eyes at that comment. That's hard to believe at this point.

"That's what you said about Subaru and the first time I met him, he swore at me and tugged you away."

Yui looked at me with pleading eyes and a small pout on her lips. Why did she have to pull that face. Its honestly hard to turn her down when she looks so desperate for help. I'm positive that Yui wasn't even doing that on purpose.

Sighing, I felt my head nod very slowly offering to help.

"Okay okay. I'll look for the supposed calm brother, while you look for the class A lecher."

Yui grabbed both of my hands and squeezed them while swinging them side to side.

"Thank you so much Hiyori! It means a lot really."

I couldn't help myself from smiling at her from being overly excited at me accepting her aid.

"Sure sure. If this isn't what friends are for, then what is? So, can you tell me where Shu usually is?"

Yui had let go of one of my hands while the other stayed gripping my other hand. Before I knew it, she had pulled us both into the hallway. I had barely enough time to grab my bag.

"Shu is usually somewhere sleeping. So he's probably somewhere where there isn't usually a lot of people."

Before I could ask Yui where those quiet places were, she hurried off in search of Laito. Goodness gracious that girl. If I were her, I'd just leave them here and hope for the best. Besides, I'm sure they can get home on their own. Laito managed to pop into my home twice unannounced, I'm sure him heading home on his own would be zero of an issue.

I headed off in search of Shu. If I'm not mistaken, he's the handsome blonde boy with the earbuds in his ear. He did seem pretty quiet and to himself in the car that evening I rode with them, so I think I can actually believe Yui a bit when she says that he's the calm one. Even so, I could not let my guard down no matter how tame or calm he appears.

I didn't know where to start, so I just thought of all the possible places that were surely to lack the company of people. I went upstairs to the Library to see if he was up there. The library is pretty silent and would be a great place to snooze. Those few times I went there, it certainly did lack the presence of students. I made my way on up to the Library's doors and opened them as quietly as I could. I didn't call out or anything, I simply walked in and looked around. Looking under tables, looking around the book shelves and the blind spots which they carried. After walking around for a few minutes, I left the library seeing as that Shu was nowhere to be found. I thought of another place where Yui took me on my first night here. The art club. There wasn't that many people there but enough to keep the club going. Surely its empty now, maybe he's in there. Luckily it was on the same floor as the library, so all I had to do was walk further down to the end of the hallway. Before I entered, I lightly knocked on the door. After a few seconds, I saw that I wasn't getting a response and just went ahead to open the door. Sliding it to the side, I saw that the room was empty, other than there being art supplies and such. Just the usual things that would be in an art room. I still entered and quickly peered under each desk and opened up a closet that was near the window. Of course it wasn't storing a blonde Sakamaki. Not wanting to waste my time any further, I left the room.

Once I closed the door, I pressed my back up against it and sighed.

Despite how tired I was, I went on to the next floor. Going up to the second floor, I checked in almost all of the now empty classrooms and even checked the storage closets. Yui said he'd probably be somewhere quiet and with lack of people, so maybe further up. This school was huge. Like insanely huge. No matter where you turned or no matter how many doors I opened, it was always a new and different area that I haven't seen yet.

I stopped where I was and wondered how many more floors there were. From the outside, it looked to be about 4 floors, not including the roof. Yui told me that even she got lost quite a few times when she first started here, so there are even a few places where even she hasn't been yet.

If Shu prefers to sleep somewhere and likes quiet, perhaps maybe the fourth floor would be his choice. I'm not sure what's up there, but I don't recall ever seeing anyone walking around up there from outside. The lights on that floor are almost always on, but never any silhouettes moving about on that floor.

Going with my gut, I decided to head right up to the final floor. The closer I got, the quieter it became. Like there was no sign of life at all. The only thing I could hear were the cars in the streets and the taps of my feet on the stairs. Once I made it to the fourth floor, I leaned against the nearest wall and let out a tired sigh.

"I haven't been searching long, so why do I feel so worn out already."

I huffed out a tired breath of air and stared at my feet. As I was catching a break, I heard some footsteps coming my way and quickly lifted my head. The foot steps I heard seemed to be coming from the stairs. Someone was heading up here? What for? The footsteps sounded rushed and heavy, as if they were in a hurry or something. Moving away from the wall a bit to see who it was, my eyebrows lifted a bit in surprise.

Who I saw was someone I didn't expect to see at this very moment. It was Ayato and he looked angrier than usual. He was obviously looking for Yui and his whole body language showed that he didn't appreciate having to go around looking for her. I would've darted away somewhere as quick as I could had there been time, but Ayato had already seen me. Once Ayato caught sight of me, he approached me with a quick pace up the stairs and a sour look on his face. Not knowing what to do, I simply stayed where I was.

"Oi idiot, where is she?"

His aggressive tone and insult caused me to press myself back further into the wall I was just leaning on. With my bag in my hands, I lifted my bag and brought it towards my face covering half of it. I don't know what prompted me to do that, but it was clearly a pointless defensive move. Despite how nervous and scared I was around him, I answered him.

"She's um, looking for Laito. She said tha-..."

He didn't even let me finish what I was saying, as he let out an irritated snarl and a flash of his fangs. I didn't want to be scared of him but it was something just menacing and unsettling about Ayato. Not just him, but the rest of his brothers as well. I mean I've become kind of use to Laito being around me, and he's always cheerful and playful, but the rest of them seemed to carry a completely different mood and vibe. Like if someone were to simply breathe in their direction, they'd kill them in an instant.

"That damn moron! I told her not to bother herself with that sick piece of shit. Fucking dumbass..."

I could not believe how badly Ayato was talking about Yui like that. There's no reason to get that angry over something so small and to insult her so harshly and disrespectfully was just uncalled for. He's like a child that wants things to be done his way, on his own time and that'd be the end of it. I know that Yui doesn't mind these kinds of things to be said from him, but she wasn't here to defend herself, so I saw that it was only the right thing to do was to defend her.

Not even thinking about the possible consequences, I lowered my bag from my face and found myself stepping up to Ayato. Not in his face but I definitely closed the distance a little bit.

"Hey, Its nothing to be mad about. No reason to call her names because you guys act like immature children. She cares a lot about each of you, so instead of calling her names, try to understand her a bit. If anything you, and the rest of your brothers, are the morons."

Before I knew it, Ayato had backed me up into the door and got in my face. My bag fell to the floor as soon as he closed the distance between us. Of course I didn't expect him to calmly take in what I said, so this reaction was highly predictable. Yet even though I saw it coming, I felt my heart drop into my stomach when he came up close to me like this. Ayato seething with anger, reached his hand out and grabbed the front of my shirt in a tight fist.

"Who are you to tell me what I can and can't say to her? She is my property, and my possession. I can do and say whatever the hell I want to her and no stupid whiney little bitch is gonna tell me otherwise. So how about you mind your own damn business."

With that, he let me go, not before shoving me against the door. I winced at the pain that shot up my back and shoulders. This guy was insane on all levels. All the while he was talking to me, I thought my lungs were gonna burst. I hadn't even realized that I stopped breathing for that whole time he was holding me like that. This is the guy that Yui loves. This is the guy she claims is nice to her. This is the guy that enables Yui to stay in that house. There's no way. I thought he was gonna kill me with how much he was seething and snarling like that.

I lifted my hand to my chest and tried to calm myself down. My heart beat was going too fast to be considered normal. Despite how outright frightened I was of this boy, I still couldn't hold my tongue back from further defending Yui. Once I managed to calm myself down a bit, I opened my trembling mouth.

"S-she loves you, and you t-talk about her like she's n-nothing."

Ayato's frustration with me became so evident on his face, that I could've sworn I saw smoke fuming from his ears and nose. I squared my shoulders, readying myself for what he was going to deliver.

"You...you don't know what the fuck you're talking about you little-..."

Before he could finish his sentence, we both turned our heads towards the sound of a voice we heard from the staircase. It was Yui.

"Hiyori and...Ayato? I thought that was the both of you that I heard."

She finally made her way up to us and kept exchanging glances at our faces as if she was trying to figure out what was going on. Ayato turned completely in her direction and I immediately started to worry. He was totally gonna lay into her. Without even thinking I stood in between the two. Yui stared at me in confusion but didn't say a word. Ayato on the other hand, couldn't hold himself back at my defensive move.

"What the hell are you doing? Get outta the way!"

I shook my head and then folded my arms refusing to back down. I could definitely feel myself trembling with fear but I didn't want him to do anything harmful to Yui. Yui was so confused at what was going on and finally spoke up.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?"

Before I could say or do anything, Ayato reached around me and grabbed Yui's arm pulling her to his side. He really did treat her like she was kind of object or toy to be used and tugged around.

"No need to be so rough with her!"

Yui was caught by surprise at his action also and only gawked at him.

"Ayato...?"

Ayato only turned to look her in the eye and then back to me.

"I thought I told you to mind your business. Chichinashi, we're leaving. I thought I told you not to bother yourself with that disgusting bastard or that lazy ass."

Ayato was about to pull her away but she placed her feet in the floor not wanting to leave right away.

"But Reji's gonna leave Laito and Shu here, I just wanted to find them and tell them that we were leaving. Are you...mad?"

One look from Ayato was all Yui needed to know the answer to that question.

Not wanting to stand this any longer, I broke this little spat.

"So what if he's mad. Look, I know its none of my business, but you're overreacting Ayato. Yui is just...like that. If you're gonna be with her, then you should at least be use to this by now. Its in her nature."

Both Yui and Ayato were staring at me as if they were trying to figure out what to say next. Ayato's glare only intensified in my direction, while Yui looked at me in an understanding and appreciative way.

Ayato, with an irritated huff, averted his gaze from me to Yui.

"Laito is already in the damn car, Shu will just have to find his own way home. Satisfied? Now let's go, I don't feel like carrying you home."

With that, Ayato walked away with Yui in tow. Ayato was moving so fast, that Yui didn't even get to tell me goodnight nor did I have time to do so either. I'm sure she was going to contact me later but for now I couldn't help but worry for whatever Ayato was going to do to her. Even though Ayato was the way he was, would he really physically harm Yui. I've witnessed him being so aggressive and harsh since the day I met him and he was clearly the type to not be as nice as Yui claimed him to be. Yet then again, she did say that he pretty much showed his softer side more to her rather than others. A bit of me truly believed that even though Ayato was a rough and rude guy, something kept telling me that he did, in his own little mean way, cared deeply for Yui. Just because I didn't see it, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.

As they disappeared down the stairs, I bent down to pick up my bag that I dropped. Sighing, I found myself holding my hand against my forehead.

"Its truly is never boring when dealing with a Sakamaki."

I was about to make my way downstairs, when a voice from nearby stopped me in my tracks.

"Those two are always so noisy."

I looked left and right trying to see who said something. Then I walked up towards the stairs that was leading to the rooftop. Right there, laying with his legs outstretched at the head of the stairs, was Shu. He'd been there this whole time? None of us noticed him either? Well the three of us were pretty occupied, so I can see how our attention wasn't really aimed at the top of the stairs.

I ended up slowly walking up a few steps towards him but I didn't want to disturb him or anything. This was strange for me, he was the only brother that I hadn't actually spoken to yet. He seemed...pretty normal. At least compared to those spawns he has for brothers. His eyes were closed and he had his earbuds in. I could hear a faint sound coming from them, unsure of what his musical choice was. I was actually curious of what his taste in music was. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to try and tell him that his ride was about to leave him.

"Uh hey, I think you should get up. Surely you heard that Yui was looking for you and she said that your ride was leaving."

No response.

"Um, Shu san? Are you awake?"

Still nothing. Not knowing what else to do, I walked up a bit closer to him on the steps and leaned in a bit to give him a light tap on the shoulder.

"Can you hear me?"

Maybe his music was too loud or something. That shouldn't mean that he wouldn't be able to not feel someone touching him. I didn't even think he was asleep at all, he was clearly ignoring me.

Making my way all the way up the stairs, I stepped over him and stood at the top of the stairs looking down at him. I then bent down on my knees and leveled my face with his. Right as I was about to say something to him, I noticed that my face was pretty close to his. I felt my cheeks burn a little bit the longer I stared at his face.

He really is a handsome guy that's for sure. His hair was soft and curly blonde, he had very sculpted features and soft looking skin. Its guys like him that would make an easy living just by being a model and nothing more.

As I stared at his face, I felt something graze along my backside. At first, it was light and I thought that maybe a small breeze of wind had brushed against my skirt causing the material to brush against my bottom. I then found out real quick that it wasn't the wind, especially since there weren't any open windows, but a hand. A wandering and curious hand stroking my bottom very brazenly. I looked down and saw that Shu's hand had made its way up my skirt and onto my bottom.

"Eek!"

I jumped backwards away from his roaming hand, falling flat on my butt. He did not just do that. Just when I thought there seemed to be nothing odd or strange about him, he does that.

I fell back on my backside pretty hard and felt the pain start to spread. I reached behind me to give myself a gentle rub to ease the pain. As I was doing that, I heard a light chuckle come from the sleeping boy. This jerk has the nerve to laugh. Seems that Laito isn't the only pervert in the family.

I stood up and dusted whatever possible dust was on my skirt off. I glared down at him, clearly fuming.

"So I guess being a pervert runs in the family I see."

Shu slowly opened his eyes after he heard my comment. I believe that's the first time I've seen his eyes. They were like shining sapphire and the blue sky. So pretty. I found myself getting entranced at him again and shook my head.

"Don't you think you're being hypocritical by calling me a pervert?"

He spoke. That's certainly a surprise. Enough of that though, what did he just say?

"I'm sorry what? Me a hypocrite?"

Shu sighed and stared up at me with a small sly smile on his face.

"You're pretty much a pervert yourself. Being so close to me, so open and vulnerable. Staring at my face, and getting all warm and excited. I can feel the heat just radiating from your skin and onto mine. Not to mention..."

Not preparing myself for what he was about to do next, Shu then lifted his hand and picked up the edge of my skirt in between his fingertips with no shame.

"You're wearing very racy underwear right now."

My entire body lit up as if was on fire utterly mortified at his bold move. I slapped his hand away and pulled my skirt down then backed away far as I could from him. He simply let out a small tired chuckle at my humiliation.

"What the hell?!"

I didn't know what else to do or say but I just wanted to hit him. A nice good slap to that precious face of his. He dare to call me a hypocrite over some petty observations. He and that disgusting brother of his were the perverts. They were the definition of that term and he dare call me one? The nerve.

"You claim I'm a pervert over something so ridiculous. Yeah, I was staring at you but not because I want you or anything. It'd be a lie to say that you're not attractive but keep in mind, that being attractive and attracted, are two different things. As for my undergarments, that does not define me. You and that sick brother of yours are the true sickos."

Shu only stared at me for a short while and then let out a small 'Hmpf'.

Oh so now he has nothing to say. Just when I thought that he would be at least a little decent, he pulls that stunt. Shu had closed his eyes and seemed to have gone back to ignoring me or going to sleep. Either way, this was clearly my cue to just leave him where he was. I don't even know why I bothered in the first place trying to wake him. Oh I'll tell you why, its because I put in that much of an effort to locate him, so I figured I'd at least attempt to do what Yui asked of me so that it wouldn't feel like a wasted effort.

Thinking that Shu had drifted back off to sleep, I slowly walked towards him, trying to head back down stairs. As soon as I tried to step over him and my left foot went down on the first step, my arm was suddenly grabbed and then the next thing I knew, I was pulled right onto Shu's lap. His arm had wrapped around my lower back holding me pretty tightly against him. I found myself straddling his lap and face to face with the blonde. His eyes were now back open and he stared at me while still holding onto my arm. Luckily, I still had a free hand, but that was shown to be useless as soon as I tried to push away from him. When I laid my hand on his chest to push away, he simply took a hold of my hand and brought my wrist to his mouth. I stood still as soon as I felt the coolness of his lips on my heated skin. My biggest concern, was if he was going to actually bite me or maybe he was simply teasing me. Regardless of him appearing very lazy and relaxed, he was still a vampire that thrived on blood, so I did not want to be within his grasp long. Unfortunately, It isn't that easy with him holding me so close to him.

Seeing as how I stopped struggling, Shu took that as an opportunity to nip at my wrist with his teeth. As soon as he did that, I tried to snatch my arm away as hard as I could.

"W-what are you doing?! Let go of me and let me leave!"

Shu only held my wrist closer to his mouth the more I tried to pull away. The whole time his mouth stayed stuck on my skin, he kept his eyes on me, staring at me waiting on some kind of reaction from me. He's probably expecting me to melt in his lap and get all flustered. The longer he stared into my eyes, the more annoyed I became. Not because I couldn't get away, but because I actually felt my body temperature rising. I couldn't help myself, I didn't want this to happen, it was merely the position and closeness that was causing this unfortunate reaction from me.

Shu took his mouth away from my wrist and let out a light smirk. I saw he had a very small amount of blood smeared on his lips. I hadn't even felt him bite, was he simply just nipping there all the way up until it started to bleed.

"Hmpf, you're getting warmer now. Is it because of my mouth on your skin or does it have something to do with where you're sitting?"

I already knew that our position was very much risqué, but for him to openly point that out, really made me so uncomfortable, that I couldn't help but burn red hot. I shook my head denying his quick assumption.

"No...Its not that, its..."

I couldn't even finish what I was trying to say because my face was extremely close to his. My chest was heaving against his and my heart was thumping loudly and hard, making me a little bit dizzy. Was he making me feel this way or was this truly all of me?

Shu saw how much I was under a lot of discomfort and let out a tired like laugh. Of course this was amusing to him, especially when I was denying it as much as I was. The same thing happened with Laito as well. I couldn't help myself with how my body was reacting to his touch, his kiss, his everything. I knew in my heart, that I didn't want to feel any kind of attraction to him and yet, it had been a strong filthy rush through my body. Feeling myself fall deeper and deeper for Laito's words and false hopes. I honestly didn't know how else to describe how despicable I was behaving anymore. I dipped my head down, ashamed and not wanting to look him in the face anymore. While I sat in Shu's lap thinking about why my body was reacting this way, Shu let out a heavy sigh.

"As a vampire, I can force you to enjoy what you wish to not enjoy."

Shu's sudden words caused me to slowly lift my head back up and face him again. I frowned, not sure fully sure of what I just heard him say.

"I'm sorry, what...what did you say?"

Not answering my question, nor saying anything, Shu simply stared at me for a second and brought my wrist back up to his mouth then bit down. The pain shot up my arm instantly causing me to let out a small yelp. I made an effort to pull back away from his mouth, but as Laito would do, he simply held on tighter the more I pulled. My shoulders trembled as I could feel the blood being pulled from the veins in my arm. As much as I was feeling the blood being drawn from my wrist, I realized that I wasn't feeling as much pain as I had with Laito. The pain was still there but it was very feint and dull. How was he doing that? And why did it hurt with Laito but not with him?

Shu removed his mouth away from my wrist and looked me in the eye with a teasing smirk on his bloody lips.

"Look at you, what a change in attitude. Is it pleasant for you?"

Not giving me a chance to prepare myself, Shu let go of my now limp arm and brought his hand up to my ribbon. He untied it and then pulled down my shirt so that only my shoulder was exposed for his pleasure. He leaned in and then bit again. I winced at his fangs puncturing my shoulder and let out a pained moan. For some reason, It hurt more on the shoulder rather than on my wrist. With his fangs imbedded in my flesh, Shu wrapped his arm tighter around me drinking his to his heart's content.

My eyes began to get heavier and heavier by the second and I ended up falling over, laying my head on Shu's shoulder. Despite it not hurting at first, him drinking from me was still doing damage to my body.

"Shu..."

I barely let out a whisper as I called his name hoping he'd stop. I wasn't sure if he'd stop simply because he got the message, but to my surprise, Shu ended up backing away removing himself from my shoulder. I was so happy when he finally stopped. I didn't think I could take anymore and here I thought Laito drank too much. My head still laid on his shoulder and my body was too drained to even move a bit. Shu didn't seem to mind me laying on him as I was, but he didn't want it to go on too long that much I could tell.

"Hey...you're heavy."

He had a lot of nerve to say that, when he is the one who put me in such a state. I couldn't even lift my head, let alone get up on my own two feet. As drained as I was, I managed to slip off of his lap and onto the side where a floor was available for me to lie on. The floor was indeed dusty but it didn't matter to me at that moment, all that mattered was how amazing the cool floor felt against my burning skin. Letting the cool floor overtake me, I started to drift off where I laid. The last thing I saw before passing out, was Shu getting up from where he sat and then making his way down the stairs clearly heading home. He was such a jerk to just leave me here, but I expected nothing more or less from a Sakamaki. I blacked out, letting myself fully succumb to sleep. As my mind and body wandered else where, I could've sworn I felt someone wrap their arms around my body, and then carrying me off into the night.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you to all those who are reading. By all means, leave many reviews and many opinions. I enjoy what I've been working on but I enjoy it more when you guys take the time to read and leave comments. I will continue to work hard for those who are enjoying my work.**_

Oh great, not again. My head, my body, just my everything hurts and aches as if I had just been run over with a truck. Just when I thought I had just gotten my break from Laito's shenanigans, this happens. Talk about too good to be true. My eyes were still shut, but I couldn't help but roll them. Thinking that I was still at school, I reached out to feel for my bag that had gotten away from me, but felt nothing but soft cushion under my palm. Not just my hand, but my whole body was on something soft and plush.

Strange, this doesn't feel like the hard cold floor that I passed out on. Its...soft and warm. Also the smell is very familiar to me, like I'm in my bed. Am I in my bed? There's no way that'd be the case, because if so, who brought me home.

I tried to open my eyes to see if I truly was in my room as I'd hope, but it felt almost impossible. My eyelids felt as if they were being held shut by some invisible force and I could barely move my body for some reason.

"Damn him..."

I had no energy to move nor open my eyes, but I had enough to curse the person who was responsible for doing such things to me. Letting out a dry groan, I finally managed to force my eyes open to see where I was. It was pitch black, but I could tell that I was definitely in my room. Especially when I reached out to feel for my nightstand and check to see if any of my familiar belongings were on it. I wondered what time it was, but I couldn't see my clock that was on the wall at all and I didn't have a digital clock like most people had these days, so there was no way to tell what hour it was. Actually, without even looking at a clock, I could tell by outside, that it was pretty late.

I don't even recall what happened after that encounter with Shu.

I remember fainting after Shu bit me at school on the stairs. Just thinking about how much he took from me and how I felt when he did it, made me heat up in shame at myself. I just don't understand how I wasn't able to feel as much pain from when Shu bit me. I would prefer to not ever be bitten again obviously but I couldn't help but wonder why it was almost painless. With Laito, I mean it hurt but at the same time, it was like a burning pain followed by an odd sensation that I couldn't describe. Whereas with Shu, there was almost nothing. Almost.

I could start to feel the pain kick in on my wrist and up on my shoulder. I had to get up and get myself cleaned up before Dad sees me.

As soon as I tried to get up, I was snugged tightly against a body from behind me. My eyes went wide. Someone was in my bed. I didn't even notice. I shivered at the thought that someone was in my bed with me right this second and they were holding me quite intimately might I add. Even though it was hard to see, I could still feel. I felt around carefully and touched an arm that was draped around my mid section holding me firmly. I tried to pull away yet again, only to have the arm hold me tighter. I was trying not to freak out and panic, but that was getting very difficult to do.

As I was trying to think of a way to escape this person's grasp, the person holding me, let out a tired, yet sensual moan. I frowned, having a huge hint of who was in my bed with me. I carefully turned my head to try and look over my shoulder, but I couldn't get a good peek. It was hard to move how I wanted to when I was being held so closely like this. So instead, I maneuvered my body and turned as cautiously as possible not wanting to wake the still body. Succeeding in turning over, I tried to get a good look to see who the intruder was who I expected it to be. As dark as it was, I still somehow managed to catch sight of some reddish brown soft hair. My guess was surely correct.

Seeing that it was Laito, I found myself sighing in relief for some reason. What in the world, I shouldn't be relieved. He's just as dangerous and disgusting as any known molester in this world, having him here is no ice cream sundae.

His arm was still over me as I laid still staring in his direction. Seeing as how I wasn't going to be leaving this bed anytime soon because of him, I decided to lay my head back down. I hadn't even noticed how close our faces were until I felt a light wind of him breathing run across my cheek. He was sleeping so quietly and soundly as if he rarely gets to sleep properly at all. It's terrible that I actually find him kind of cute while he's sleeping. It's beyond difficult to see his attractive side when he's being a complete perverted jerk, but when he's like this, you wouldn't even think he'd have a rotten little bone in his body. I wonder if it was possible for him to be gentle or kind. I ended up letting out a quiet giggle at that thought. Honestly, I believe that that would freak me out more than anything to see him treating me so nicely. If only he stayed like this, silent and sleeping, he'd stay cute in my eyes. Laito cute? Hmm? Sure he is while he's knocked out, but as soon as he's up and moving about, I'm sure even the devil himself shakes his head in anguish at this boy.

I hadn't even realized that my hand had reached out towards him and had gently ran my fingers along his hair. At first, my fingers twitched as soon as my tips touched a few loose strands, but my fingers slowly made their way back to further inspect the soft locks.

"Wow...its like silk."

I couldn't hold back my whispered awe, as it left my lips as soon as I began caressing his hair lightly with my fingers. I didn't want to wake him, especially since this is the one and only time where he'd let his guard down around me. For once, his presence wasn't a hindrance to me. At least for now. Just touching a few strands wasn't enough for me, so I ended up laying my hand on top of his head and rubbed gently like he was some sort of puppy. I wondered if this is the side that Yui sees all the time when she's at home with them? The side that triggers Yui to be so quick to defend them if anyone had bad mouthed them. Maybe this **is** it.

While I became lost in touching Laito's hair, a sudden stir in his sleep caused me to pull my hand back as quick as I could. Before I could pull my hand back to my chest, my hand ended up being snagged by a, now awoke, Laito. His quick grip caused me to gulp in fright.

Oh no...

Laito's bright greens made their appearance shining brightly in my dark room. Those eyes of his were the only thing emitting any sort of light in this room. I felt a terrifying chill run through my body as he stared into my face. He probably didn't like me touching him in his sleep like that. I was very surprised at myself for doing such a bold thing. Curiosity got to me and now I'm about to suffer the consequences.

Closing my eyes, I waited for him to do what he did best. As I waited for my punishment, I felt my hand being lifted into the air and then placed on a soft head. Then, a tired sounding murmur came from his mouth.

"Feels nice..."

Opening my eyes, I saw that Laito's eyes were no longer open but my hand was laid back on his head. He wanted me to keep going? Was he still asleep or something? Surely he must've been talking in his sleep to say something like that.

Not wanting to question it too much, I simply continued to stroke his head softly as I had been doing. While massaging the top of his head, I felt myself begin to smile and my cheeks rise in temperature. As my hand soothingly rubbed his head, my fingers would occasionally slip into his soft hair and then I'd gently run the tips of my fingers along his scalp. It was almost like petting your favorite animal, only that animal was Laito and he was far from a pet that I'd want. But truth be told, I wish that I had some sort of light so that I could properly see his sleeping face. Laito is a very good looking boy, but his behavior with me overshadows his physical appearance, so I don't find him attractive because of it. Yet, I'm sure that his sleeping face would have made me swoon had I seen it. I was almost tempted to get out of my bed and turn on my light just so I could see him in such a vulnerable state. Well even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to, seeing as how Laito had quite the grip on me. While I was so entranced in running my hand through his hair, I had started to get a little drowsy and my eyes had started to grow heavy. I was practically mesmerized by touching him so tenderly like this, that it was putting me to sleep. Before I even realized it, I had lulled myself to sleep letting my head fall on my pillow.

I hadn't slept so soundly in a while ever since I started at Ryoutei Academy. Being harassed and having my blood sucked, really had put a damper on my good nights rest. I would wake up in pain or still tired, completely unable to move myself out of bed in the morning. But this time, I was able to somehow sleep very soundly and not feel so groggy or down. I mean, I was still weak from Shu's actions last night but it was barely noticeable.

Not wanting to open my eyes yet, I laid still in my bed unmoving. While I laid still in my bed, I felt something tickle across my cheek. Not knowing what it was, I tiredly lifted my hand and swatted at whatever it was tickling my cheek. The sensation stopped but only for a very short time then it was back again. Only this time, the tickling began running along my arm causing goosebumps to rise along the way. I again, brought my hand up and brushed off whatever was touching me while I slept. I wanted to open my eyes to see what it was, but I was too comfortable to even bother.

"Hmm, still not wanting to wake up~?"

That's strange, for a second there, I thought I heard Laito's voice. Not paying it any mind, I stayed in my current state. I was almost on my way back to sleep, when I felt something breeze across my face which was something cool yet soft. Whatever it was, it moved from my forehead to my cheek and then I could feel a presence hover over my mouth.

Frowning, I slowly yet reluctantly opened my exhausted eyes and was greeted with a fair skin green eyed Laito. Not only was his face really close to mine, but he had his lips near mine as if he was trying to steal a kiss in my sleep. Fully awake, I quickly got up and pushed myself up away from him in surprise. I sat up and tried to back away from him as far as I could. If I pushed myself back further from him, I would've fell butt first on the floor. So instead, I just sat up near the edge of the bed and just looked at him, not being able to utter a proper response.

"L-l-laito? W-w-what are you?...how did you...?"

The words that came out of my mouth was nothing but stutters and I could barely compose myself. Laito had propped himself up on his elbow while laying on his side and only stared at me in amusement.

"Why are you so surprised? Don't you remember last night?"

Last night? What was he talking about? Maybe he really was awake and not half asleep when I was patting his head and he merely was just teasing me about it. I mean what I did wasn't bad or inappropriate but just thinking about how close and gentle I was being with him hours before, had me feeling quite flustered. Feeling my face burn and my cheeks began to have a faint tint of pink in them, I awkwardly averted my gaze from his by looking towards my window. I saw that the sun was just rising, so it was a nice pleasant little stream of orange gleaming into my bedroom. While trying to keep my attention off of Laito, I heard some footsteps and then the closing of a door. Not waiting a single second, I was now at full attention and sat all the way up quickly snapping my head in Laito's direction.

"Oh no...Dad's up. You need to get out of here, like now Laito."

Regardless of the obvious desperation in my voice to get him out of my room and bed, he nonchalantly laid down on his back, arms crossed over his chest with a sly smile on his face.

"Now why would I do that? The idea of getting caught in bed together is quite the thrill don't you think my love?"

I opened my mouth ready to yell at him but then I remembered that it was quite early and my Dad was not far from my room. If I raised my voice, Dad would surely come into my room to see what the issue was.

Clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth and began to speak in a whisper.

"Laito, can't you just disappear or something? Or at least hide in my closet until my Dad leaves."

I was pretty much begging him to do as I say and all he did was let out an amused chuckle. I squinted my eyes at him feeling myself about to snap at him but before I could even let out a word, I heard the opening of a door. I then began to panic a bit which caused me to start shuffling in my bed and grab however many pillows that I could. Seeing as how Laito wasn't gonna budge in the slightest, I came up with an insane idea of hiding majority of his lounging body with my pillows and blanket. Before I could toss what I could over his body, a small knock on my door startled me and my whole body jumped.

"Hiyori? Are you up?"

Mentally slapping myself, I hadn't even realized that I had been making noise while scrambling about in my room. That's what I get for panicking like that. Not knowing what to do, I simply answered him back in a fake tired toned.

"Not quite Dad. I... **yawn**...caught a bad cramp in my leg while stretching."

All while I was talking, Laito was just laying about watching me as if he was watching something very entertaining. He enjoys watching me freaking out and being in distress, so much that he purposely puts me into hair pulling situations.

"Okay sweetie. Well I'm just getting ready for work then I'll be heading out, sleep tight."

Hearing my Dad walk away from my door was music to my ears. I let out a tired exhale and settled down on my bed. I cradled my head in my hands while groaning clearly frustrated. As I was silently thanking the heavens for my Dad not coming into my room, I felt Laito move close to me and then I felt fingers running through my hair.

"Seeing you so frazzled is the cutest thing. Not as cute as your angry face though."

I quickly reached behind my head and swatted his hand away from my hair harshly.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

Laito's face never broke from his usual cheery expression, as I appeared very heated at him. If anything, he seemed to want to rile me up even more.

"See, you're much cuter when you're upset~."

I rolled my eyes and then laid down on my bed with my arm draped over my eyes. I could feel Laito laying down right next to me as I tried to block out his presence.

"I must say, you have quite the selection of undergarments. I sure did select the perfect one to fit your body."

I laid there a minute trying to figure out what he meant by that. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I quickly sat up, my heart beating alarmingly fast as I slowly looked down my body. That's right. I was wearing my school uniform before, how did I end up in these clothes. I was wearing my black satin gown that happened to be one of my favorites. I honestly forgotten that I even had it in my closet, though it was one of my favorites, its been a while since I've worn it. My mouth dropped in shock and my eyes grew in horror. He had undressed me! He had pretty much seen me naked and I wasn't awake at all! I sat up in my bed and felt my body begin to shiver in absolute disgust.

Seeing that I was putting the pieces together finally, Laito let out a small giggle and ran his eyes over my body. Watching his eyes travel up and down my body, automatically caused me to wrap my arms around my body. I know he had already seen a bit of me but this was different. I wasn't aware in the slightest. I wasn't conscious at all!

"You really have no recollection of what happened last night? My sweet sweet darling, you were quite something. Your warm body pressing against me with earnest, your hands reaching out to me begging me not to leave your side, and watching you writhe around trying to get out of your clothes, which were might I add, drenched in sweat. I simply just had to remove them for you and I must say, I was very much impressed at what my eyes laid upon."

Listening to his every word, I felt my eyes welling up with tears. No matter how hard I didn't want to believe his words, I couldn't help but find myself slowly starting to see his words as nothing but the truth. I was horrified, I was appalled but most of all, I was violated. I couldn't even look at him let alone stand being near him after what he'd had just told me.

Laito sat up and moved closer to me, placing his hand on my cheek. His cold touch caused me to jerk away from him, only for him to quickly grab me by the back of my neck, pulling me towards him. I shut my eyes at his sudden roughness and felt my heart to drop in my stomach. Was he angry? If he was, what in the world would've spiked such a thing? If anything, I should be the one fuming with anger right now, not him. Not having a clue in the world at what had made him so upset, I opened my eyes curiously only to find his face, mere centimeters from mine. His eyes, which are usually carrying a gleeful glint in them, had now looked annoyed and bothered.

"As much as I was impressed at your fully developed body, I must also admit, that I saw something quite ugly on your soft smooth skin as well."

As he spoke, I felt goosebumps scatter all over my body. He looked as if I had done something horrible to him. Not knowing what he was talking about, I opened my trembling lips to speak.

"U-gly?"

That one word left my mouth in nothing but a confused yet terrified whisper. Laito simply stared at me for a few long seconds and then reached for my hand. I felt his hand wrapped around my wrist and then gave it a painful squeeze. I winced at the sharp pain that shot up my arm. That's the spot where Shu had bitten me at school on the stairs, and it was still very much painful, as well as tender. Laito then raised my wrist to his face and gave it a light sniff while still having his eyes fixed on mine.

"I don't mind sharing, but I thought you didn't want your blood sucked anymore. Yet, I see that you were willing to get that kind of satisfaction from...Shu I'm guessing?"

My eyes widened at his accurate guess. How'd he know it was Shu? Did he just figure that out by simply smelling the spot where I was bitten? I mean I knew that they had heighten senses, especially when it came to the sense of smell, but it still amazed me at how impressive it was.

I pulled my wrist out of his grasp and held it close to my chest.

"First and foremost, there was nothing satisfying about it. Second, I was nowhere close to willing. He just...grabbed me. I couldn't get away, you should know that it wouldn't be easy for a human to escape the grasp of a vampire."

Laito had a look of ponder on his face and let out a small chuckle. He then reached his hand out and placed his fingers on my shoulder. I didn't know why he had done that but then a sharp pain came soon after he touched my shoulder. Laito was pressing his fingers onto the wound on my shoulder. I almost forgot that Shu had bitten me more than once. I ended up slapping Laito's hand away from me yet again and covered my painful bite mark with my hand, while scowling in his direction.

"I have this faintest thought, that regardless of what you say, that you actually enjoyed it."

My face twisted at Laito's bold accusation

"Enjoy? What's there to enjoy?"

Without giving me time to react, Laito grabbed me by my arm and pulled me down on the bed so that I was underneath him. On my back and only staring up at Laito's face, which was framed by his soft yet tussled hair, I found myself laying still as a stick. Laito's hands were laid flat on each sides of my head, caging me in. This was becoming a regular almost every day encounter with him, I almost could get use to it. Almost.

"I'm sure you know that vampires are impure erotic creatures. Humans, such as yourself, can also be quite the most lewd and naughty of beings as well. You just need a little bit of help getting there. Be it gentle caresses..."

I turned my head to the side as Laito ran his fingers along my cheek lovingly.

"Or soft passionate kisses on your very heated skin..."

Laito's head came down right above my breasts and left small gentle pecks along my chest. I swear that after each peck across my chest, my heart almost jumped out of my throat. I just knew he could feel how hard my heart was thumping right now. Occasionally, his tongue would lightly lick me after each kiss, which made my body jump in surprise each time.

"You'll end up giving in to your desires eventually. Someone just has to show you and lead you there. Someone that sincerely loves you~."

There he goes again with that talk of love. How can he think that what he feels for me is love? How can he possibly believe that him molesting me every chance he gets is a sign of his love for me? It makes my stomach churn. I'm certain that's how he pulls in his victims and takes full advantage of them. Speaking sweet nothings, empty promises and throwing the word 'Love' around like it means very little. He sees me the same as all his other conquests. Just another name to add to his list and another boost of that disgusting sexual ego of his. Unfortunately for him, I was not at all like those easily baited women. I refuse to become an empty memory below his belt.

"Why do you keep saying that you love me? You obviously don't, so why?"

Laito gazed down at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I do. I show it all the time when we're together don't I?"

Rolling my eyes, I let out an annoyed scoff.

"You groping me, stripping me of my clothing and sucking my blood is **not** a sign of love Laito. The only thing you're feeling, is mere lust and nothing more."

Laito held my eyes and had a look of confusion in his eyes with a side of amusement. Clicking his tongue and shaking his head, Laito cupped my cheek with his cool hand and ran his thumb along my bottom lip.

"My sweet naive girl, I've told you before haven't I? That they are one in the same. I also remember you admitting to me that you yourself, don't even have a proper meaning as to what is love nor have you experienced it."

Moving my face away from his touch, I felt his hand fall from my face but his gaze never left me.

"I have experienced love. Not an intimate love, but a love for those I hold dear in my life. Like friends and family. Love is love and lust is lust."

The look that was on Laito's face was a look of disgust and irritation. His eyes, which are usually shining a bright green, became void of such shine and seemed to stare at me with a hint of anger in them. What did I say for him to look so crossed with me? If he didn't agree with what I just said, then that's fine but he's staring at me as if I just said something so utterly ridiculous to him. Laito and I held each other's gaze in silence for what felt like an eternity. I was waiting for him to say something, anything really. Be it a teasing remark or a light chuckle, anything to break this silent air around us. Seeing as how he wasn't gonna take the initiative, I decided to speak up.

"Um, Laito? Are you...okay?"

Laito's eyes fluttered a bit as if he was just snapped out of a trance. I wasn't sure if I was worried about him or not but it just felt right to ask him. I mean, for a moment there, I could've sworn he looked a bit upset, but not at me, something that probably crossed his mind after what I just said. After becoming aware of my voice, a smile slowly made its way back onto his lips and a little bit of a gleam returned in his eyes.

"What's this? Are you showing concern for me? Oh I just knew you felt something for me~."

And with that, Laito wrapped his arms around me and rolled so that I was on top of him. Arms still secured around me, Laito leaned his head up and gave me a quick peck on my lips. Feeling a blush creep up on my face, I turned my face away hoping to hide my flustered appearance.

"Just because I asked a concerned question doesn't mean I feel anything for you. Don't mistake my consideration for anything more. Also, will you stop kissing me. I hate that you've stolen my first kiss..."

Taking note of what just left my mouth, I shut my eyes in shame and bit my tongue hating that I just revealed something that personal to him.

He let out an arrogant and conceited chuckle, clearly pleased at my accidental confession.

"I was your first kiss? That's so innocent of you darling. Now don't you worry, to make it even, I'll be sure to be your first everything."

My whole body felt like it was on fire at what he declared to me. To hear him speak that way out loud and without tact, was too difficult for me to bear. Every time he spoke so brazenly, I felt the entirety of my body and soul shiver in both shame and repulsion. As I was in my own thoughts, I started to feel his hands start to wander down my waist and then made their way onto my backside. Once his hands laid flat on my bottom, his fingers teasingly pinched where they landed. Letting out a disgusted gasp, I pulled out of his grip and jumped off of him. I moved so fast that I almost fell off the bed. It was hard to try and keep quiet because my Dad was still here. I almost yelled at him but did well in holding my tongue, and only let out a whispered complaint.

"Its time for you to leave. You brought me home and you changed my clothes, very much to my displeasure might I add. There's no reason for you to be here anymore. So gather yourself and see your way out of my-..."

Before I could finish my sentence, I heard a small knock on the door yet again. My chest was about to explode out of nervousness. I forgot to keep it down, surely he had heard me in here talking despite me whispering. I just had to hope that he didn't hear Laito's voice as well. Clearing my throat, I answered.

"Yeah Dad?"

"Hiyori who are you speaking to in there?"

"Oh uh...just Yui on the phone. You know, my friend I told you about."

There was a short pause on the other side of the door.

"This early in the morning?"

"Yeah. She was just wondering if I could sleepover at her house this weekend. She couldn't wait to ask me."

I'm sure Dad was very hesitant on me going to spend the night at someone's house. Especially when he hadn't even met Yui yet. I've told him about her but he has yet to become acquainted with her.

"Oh, Well I don't mind if you want to spend the night, I just would like to meet her first. I'll be home early, so it'd be great to meet the person who made my little girl change so quickly."

I closed my eyes in annoyance at Dad's proposal. Of course he'd want to meet her, so that's not a surprise. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances. I let my head fall in my hands and agreed to have him meet Yui.

"Sure, I'll um, see when she's able to drop by."

"Alright sweetie. Well I'm off, I'll see you soon alright? Love you."

"Love you too. Have a good day at work."

Hearing my dad's footsteps leave from in front of my door, made me relax so much into my bed. I was praying to the heavens above, for him not to come into my room. I didn't want to give him any reason to. Thank goodness my Dad respects my privacy and trusts me, because any wrong move and he would've came right in with concern radiating off of him.

Throughout the whole exchange between Dad and me, Laito had been running his fingers through my hair while letting out a quiet smirk. I was trying so hard not to lash out at him while Dad was still at the door. Laito took great pleasure in seeing me so distressed and miserable. All while Dad was at the door, I was screaming on the inside for Laito not to do something careless.

Not wanting to say anything until I heard the front door open and shut, I simply removed my hands from my head, then looked up at Laito. Not sure at how much I could verbally express my anger, all I could do was glare at him. As I was staring daggers at him, I saw that his face was starting to turn a light shade of pink. He, for some reason, seemed excited? He then let out a sensuous sigh while moving in towards my face.

"Well isn't this just the most wonderful of news."

My eyes narrowed in confusion unsure of what he was talking about.

"What's good news?"

Laito's hands framed around my face and he leaned in even closer our noses now touching.

"Why the sleepover of course! You can sleep in my room obviously. Ayato likes to sleep in Bitch chan's room a lot, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to be in bed with them when they're-..."

I knocked his hands away from my face and covered my ears while squeezing my eyes shut.

"Stop! Just...don't finish that sentence. Please just, don't."

Seriously, how can someone just be so out in the open about stuff like that. I mean sure Ayato and Yui are together and I'm sure they do couple things but I never thought about them doing such...activities. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging Yui for what she does, I mean she has every right to. If she wants to do such things with Ayato, then so be it. It doesn't change at all who she is as a person. I peeped open one of my eyes to find Laito with his arms crossed while looking at me as if he wanted to say a snide remark. But nothing came. He just sat there, staring at me with an innocent smile plastered on his face.

"Listen, its not that I don't know about those kind of things, but do you really need to discuss what they do behind closed doors like that? I mean, its their own privacy and I'm sure Yui won't appreciate you telling me this."

Letting out a bothered sigh, Laito shook his head and smirked.

"Of course she wouldn't **want** me to, but it's fun to do."

Rolling my eyes, I get up from my bed and head towards my closet. Looks like I'm gonna have to contact Yui and tell her that my Dad would like to meet her before our out of the blue sleepover. Even though I wasn't really planning on doing a sleepover, I'm almost certain that Yui would jump at the idea of having me spend the night at their home. As much as I would love to, there was just no way I'd be able to sleep under the same roof as those sadistic vampires. Me unconscious around 6 unpredictable and dangerous vampires, did not sound like a smart idea. As I was rummaging through my closet, I came to realize something. I whipped my head around to face Laito and squinted my eyes at him.

"No. No. There is no sleepover. I only said that to cover up for the noise I was making because of you."

A small pout formed on Laito's lips as he tilted his head to the side.

"Ehhh? But you promised to come to my home. Don't you remember our little arrangement?"

"Laito, you said to keep you company for your family dinner. Not for me to stay the night at your home."

After finding some clothes, I made my way back over to my bed and I laid them down where I was sitting previously. I could feel Laito's eyes on me the whole time I was at my closet and all while I made my way back to my bed. Still feeling his eyes on me, I felt my body begin to get goosebumps. Mostly on my arms. I tried to keep myself from staring at him I return, but that wasn't as easy as it sounded. As I was pretending to go over my outfit for the day, Laito got up from my bed and stood real close to me.

"As correct as you are, wouldn't you want to get acquainted with my home?"

"Not to be rude, but no."

Moving behind me, Laito simply placed both of his hands on my shoulders and leaned on the side of my head so that our cheeks were touching. Even though we've been talking kind of normal for the past few minutes, he still made me feel nervous. Having him this close made me feel like the pit of my stomach was in knots.

Laito noticed how quiet and still I had gotten as soon as he laid his hands on my shoulders. Letting out a small chuckle, he removed his hands from my shoulders and wrapped his arms around my middle.

"What's wrong? Do I still make you nervous?"

He moved his face from the side of my cheek and then placed his nose on the back of my neck. Feeling him nuzzle his nose on my neck, caused a shiver to travel up my spine. Of course he felt my whole body tremble against him and released a whispered chuckle.

"Laito can y-you please leave...?"

Clicking his tongue in a haughty fashion, Laito continued to rub his nose against me.

"You didn't answer my question darling~."

Of course I didn't! I could barely form a proper sentence. With him this close, it felt very intimidating and...something else that I couldn't describe. While I was trying to figure out what to say, Laito began licking and nipping at my skin. The second I felt him doing that, I went to pull away only for him to yank me back towards his chest.

"Not that I don't mind sharing, its only right that I get to have some of your blood too."

I whimpered in fear.

"B-but I said I didn't have a choice! Shu just bit me, I didn't want him to! Please don't Laito, I'm still weak from last night and I'm tired."

All the while I was trying to convince him not to bite me, he kept trailing his lips up and down the back of my neck. How could we have gone from a somewhat casual conversation, to this in a heartbeat.

"You're so cute when you're begging. Go on, beg some more."

Tears began filling my eyes. I knew it pointless to even fight it, he was gonna do it anyway. I could sit here and beg for ages and he'd simply laugh at my futile attempt then take what he wanted. He was stronger than me, faster than me and there was nothing I could do about it. Just when I was about to decide to just accept what was coming, I heard my phone ring. Not knowing where my phone was, I ended up whipping my head around trying to locate where the sound was coming from. Then I realized that it was coming from right behind me.

"Laito? Do you have my phone?"

Unwrapping his arms from around my torso, Laito raised his hand in front of me. And in between his pale fingers, was my phone.

"I wonder what Bitch chan wants so early in the morning~."

I went to grab it almost immediately only to have him raise it out of my reach.

"Laito give it here, it could be something important."

"Hmmm, I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?"

I rolled my eyes knowing that I wasn't going to like this so called idea of his. These little games of his, always ended up with me getting the sharper end of a double edge sword. Letting out a frustrated groan, I nodded begrudgingly. Seeing that I was willing to hear him out, Laito clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Good good. Now I'll give you your phone and also leave, in exchange for a kiss~."

I turned around facing him with a frown on my face.

"A kiss? Why would you want something you, annoyingly, steal all the time?"

He placed his finger on his chin while looking up at the ceiling.

"As fun as it is to surprise you with a kiss, to have you initiate it, would be so much nicer."

A look of horror and utter repulse suddenly appeared on my face. He wanted me to kiss him? Kiss him willingly? There was no way that was gonna happen, no way in eons that that was gonna happen. Its bad enough that he sexually harasses me on a daily, there's no way that I'd be able to do something like that. Laito took notice of my hesitation, and dangled my phone in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. My phone had stopped ringing as soon as he put my phone near my face teasing me with it.

"Well since you don't want to, that's also fine. I'll just take your phone home with me."

Laito began backing up from me, tossing my phone in his hand. My eyes went wide at what I was hearing. What did he mean he was taking my phone to his house. If he did that, then how was I gonna contact Yui to let her know that Dad wanted to meet her. In a panic, I ran after Laito to reach and snatch my phone back. He merely side stepped me and held my phone behind his back. Irritated, I stomped my foot and let out a groan.

"Laito quit playing games and return it to me! I'm not kissing you just to get my phone back."

Shrugging, Laito slid my phone into his pocket and then a small sly smile spread on his lips. After he tucked my phone away, he headed over to my bed, and grabbed his hat which was hidden underneath my blanket, then placed his hat delicately on the top of his head.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you at my house for the sleepover. See you later my love, make sure to wear something sexy for our slumber party~."

Then just like that, within a blink of an eye, he was gone. I was too angry to be in awe at him just vanishing in thin air like that. That conniving, sly, sinister little devil of a boy. I couldn't help but grind my teeth and hit the nearest thing next to me. That guy really pushed buttons I didn't know I had. Whether I liked it or not, I was gonna be forced to play his little game.


	11. Chapter 11

Once Laito left, I gathered up my clothes and headed straight to the bathroom. Giving myself a look in the mirror, I saw that I looked very disheveled. I was a mess. I was tired and frustrated with what all transpired with both Shu and Laito. Laito especially being the cause of me not being able to have the right mindset this morning. Thank goodness we didn't have school this evening, because I wouldn't be in the mood at all to go with Laito being there and such.

Sighing, I went over towards the tub and turned on the hot water. I felt utterly overwhelmed by all that happened in such a short period of time. I needed to soak in a bath to clear my head and ease my body. Who knows, I may even go back to sleep after this. While the water ran, I stood at the sink and brushed my teeth. Once I was done with that, I opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out some stuff to clean up my bite marks. While getting ready to clean my wounds, I noticed that the bite marks that was on my chest were pretty much healed. The only thing that was left of them, was light bruising but even then it was barely noticeable. Remembering the other bites Laito had given me, I lifted up my gown to take a peek on my inner thigh to see if the marks that Laito left there were healing as well and they were. For them to be healing that fast, was questionable to me. I mean, these are punctures, not light scratches for falling or getting a paper cut. They were actual holes on my body. These should take a while to fully heal, not to mention, I'm a bit surprised that they haven't become infected. Yes I cleaned them, but simple antiseptic wouldn't fully heal a hole on my body. A part of me wanted to be surprised, but I couldn't help but see it as something normal for me. My whole life, I've been able to heal quite quickly. Just minor stuff like abrasions, cuts, bruises, and so on. I rarely ever questioned it but once Dad noticed the odd occurrence, he took me to the doctor to see if anything was wrong. The doctors merely said that I must have a strong system and that my body is just quick to repair such light damage to it. Dad wasn't too sure on it but never brought it up again and I never mentioned it. Dad actually seemed concerned about the whole ordeal, so in order not to upset him or have him worried over me, I left the whole thing alone and just looked at it as an anatomy perk.

My thoughts were interrupted, when I heard water splashing on the floor. I turned around quickly and ran over to the tub to turn off the water. I slipped but caught myself on the edge of the tub while reaching over to turn off the water. The whole bathroom was like a sauna now and the tub was full of hot water almost like a mini jacuzzi. Minus the bubbles and massaging jets of course.

I shrugged then sighed.

"Well, at least I can take this opportunity to relax."

I was planning on having a short bath but a good soak and a lounge doesn't sound too bad at all. Slipping off my clothes, I slowly made my way into the water, letting my body get use to the high temperature. As I made it in the tub, more water overflowed and spilled over on the floor. Fully settled in, I leaned my head back on the wall behind me and closed my eyes.

Fully dressed in some comfortable clothing and more relaxed than before, I went on to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. All while I was fixing myself something, I couldn't help but think about how I acted with Laito last night when he was sleeping. I wonder if he knew that I was inspecting him and he simply wasn't asleep. No I'm sure he was asleep, because had he known, he would've teased me about it this morning. Like how he teased me about how he had to undress me or how he claim I was all over him when he brought me home. I shook my head trying to erase what he told me from my memory. There's no way I did that, he's obviously just messing with me since I have no recollection of what happened after he brought me home. The only thing I remember after Shu bit me, was falling over on the floor. At least that's what I think I remembered. I couldn't help but feel like there was something else to remember but I brushed it off.

With Dad at work, and no school this evening, I was stuck at home not doing much of anything. I wish I could call and talk to Yui but I don't have my phone nor do I have a memory of her number.

I flopped down on the couch and groaned into the cushions. I couldn't help but think about my Dad wanting to meet Yui. I knew it was gonna happen eventually but I wish the circumstances were different. Not to mention, the forced sleepover. Something I'm just horrified to do, especially with Laito. I'm sure Yui would like us to do something like that one day but she understands that it wouldn't be so easy for me. I mean she lives with them, so she knows how they can be and from what I've seen at school with how they behave, I can't even imagine how they'd be at home behind closed doors. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps.

I groaned.

"I really want to talk to Yui right now. I should've memorized her number or had it on a piece of paper or something. Wait a second, paper..."

Sudden realization struck me hard and I jumped up from the couch then hurried to my room to look for the piece of paper that had Yui's number on it. She left it to me on the ground when Subaru took her away.

I had no idea where it was but I know for sure that I didn't toss it in the bin. I checked my drawers, I emptied out my school bag and looked under my bed. Nothing. I was thinking hard on where else it could be, then I went rummage through my clothes checking pockets. After looking through clothes trying to locate my uniform, I managed to find my skirt and reached into the pockets. Feeling some paper rustle, I pulled it out with haste. "Yes, I got it!"

I raised the paper in the air in success and then giddily made my to the house phone. It'd be good if Yui could hang out today, I honestly would prefer her to be here while I talked to her about everything. Maybe Yui can even manage to get my phone back from Laito.

I dialed her number and waited for an answer. After a few rings, the phone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Yui hey, it's Hiyori."

"Oh Hiyori! Its good that you called, I was thinking about texting you to see if you wanted to hang out this weekend. I called you earlier but I assume you were sleeping?"

"Yeah about that...there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Is something the matter?"

"Its a pretty long story, so I'm gonna just be fast. Laito spent the night at my house. I woke up with him in my bed and I freaked out. I was so concerned with my Dad coming into my room to find him there, because I was talking to Laito but didn't realize how loud I was being. So Dad came to the door and was like, 'who are you talking to in there', then I was all like, 'Oh no one. Just Yui'. Then Dad was wondering why were you calling me so early in the morning, which was a lie, then I told him that its because you wanted to invite me over for a sleepover. And then..."

At my erratic explanation, Yui stopped me mid way.

"Hiyori! Just...just slow down. My goodness, so much in one sitting. Catch your breath. So you lied to your Dad about there being a sleepover to cover for the fact that Laito was in your room?"

"Yes. But not only that, my Dad wants to meet you. Not that that's a bad thing, I just wish it was under a different situation."

Yui's happy reply eased the sorry off my shoulders.

"Oh I wouldn't mind meeting him. Of course this isn't how I imagined meeting him either."

Yui and I both laughed.

"So Hiyori? Why did Laito take your phone?"

I sighed.

"Well Laito thought it'd be funny, to not give me my phone when he saw you calling this morning. He then teased me, saying that if I wanted it back, then I'd have to go to his home for a sleepover."

"Ahh, so he's using that lie you told your Dad against you?"

"Yeah...Yui, I don't want to..." I whined in disappointment.

"I could try to get you your phone back, that way you don't have to come here. I know it would be stressful for you."

I couldn't help but let out a grateful tone at her offer.

"Oh Yui would you? Wouldn't that be difficult though? I mean, Laito isn't really a simple guy."

"That's true, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

Yui is seriously a great friend and she is just too good of a person to be around those kind of monsters those brothers are. Her presence is wasted on them.

"I really appreciate it Yui, like really. And if you can't get it, then its alright, I'll just...have to figure something else out in the meantime."

Yui could hear my lack of confidence in my voice and sighed.

"Hiyori I really hate that you're going through this because of me. I'll really try my hardest to return your phone."

"As long as you try its appreciated. So anyway, enough about my terrible morning, what were you planning on doing today because I'm low on ideas."

Yui and I spent a little over an hour talking about what we should do for the day. Our choices went from a cafe to going shopping, to hanging out here at my house or going for a walk around town. Either way, we both were intent on doing something for the day. She even brought Yusuke into the conversation. You wouldn't think Yui was the teasing type, but she clearly fooled me. She called it a 'girl's instinct' that she could sense when someone liked someone else. I couldn't contain myself from overly denying such things, but the more I denied he had such feelings for me, the more insistent she was. Despite her friendly teasing, it was nice talking to Yui and I felt much better after chatting with her about my not so good morning. We ended up settling on hanging out at the park and going for a walk but Yui would meet at my house first then we'd be on our way.

I spent quite a while on trying to figure out what I should wear for our day out. I settled on the outfit that I bought that day Yui and I went shopping. I was a bit hesitant on wearing it considering that it wasn't my kind of thing to wear but I suppose trying something new wouldn't hurt me.

Once I was all dressed up, I started cleaning up my room which was a bit messy. I tossed my room practically upside down looking for Yui's number plus my bed spreading was a mess after Laito and I were in it. Just thinking that made me shiver because it didn't sound right. Now I don't want to seem like I'm overreacting, but I'm tempted to put my blanket and sheets in the washing machine. Not saying he's filthy or anything, its just a feeling that he's left some kind of bad juju behind. I let out a little giggle at how ridiculously petty I was being.

Quickly after I put all my clothes back and straightened up my bed, the doorbell rang. I frowned thinking that it was quite early for Yui to be showing up, nevertheless, I went to answer the door. Only to open it and find Yusuke on the other side.

"Oh Yusuke, hi. What are you doing here?"

Yusuke offered a lopsided smile and a chuckle.

"What I can't just visit you? Were you expecting someone else?"

Cocking my head to the side while smiling, I moved to the side and to invite him inside. As Yusuke made his way inside to take a seat, I closed the door and made my way into the living room where he had made himself comfortable.

"Actually I was. Yui and I are gonna hang out today, so she's gonna come over to my house and then we'll be on our way."

Yusuke folded his arms and frowned curiously.

"You seem to really like her."

I couldn't help but smile widely at his statement.

"I do. I feel really happy with her. I never thought that I could, 'be a girl', but with Yui, she's brought out that part in me. I'm glad."

I sat down next to Yusuke on the couch and flipped on the television just to add some background noise. Yusuke and I ended up having typical small talk. I asked him about his mother and he told me that she was well and wanted to meet me to know more about the person whose caught her son's eye. I couldn't help but blush at that.

"Does your mother think that there's...you know, something going on?"

Yusuke chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well she's got her hopes up that's for sure. I keep telling her that we're friends but she insists that she'd like to meet my "girlfriend". Sorry, I know that this is embarrassing for you."

I shook my head quite vigorously.

"No no its alright. That's just a parent for you."

Yusuke was a kind and nice boy, he seemed like what any girl would want in a boyfriend. He was nurturing, kind, helpful and I'm assuming pretty smart. Not to mention he was quite handsome. I wasn't attracted to him but then again, I don't think that I've ever been attracted to any boy. I can't even recall a time in my young life that I ever had a crush. I'm not even sure that I have a type. Perhaps I'm just gonna be one of those people that'll either end up alone or find 'The one' when I'm older.

I hadn't even realized that I was spacing out and felt Yusuke tap my shoulder.

"Oh! Sorry, were you saying something?"

Yusuke pointed at the TV screen.

"I was asking if it'd be okay if I turned the channel?"

I looked at the TV and saw what was on. More like who was on. It was that man I saw on TV before. Tougo Sakamaki. I noticed that Yusuke had an almost sour expression on his face as he looked at the TV. In the short while I've known him, I had never seen Yusuke look so visibly upset.

"Sure I don't mind, go ahead. Um Yusuke, you're not very fond of him are you? That Tougo fella I mean."

Yusuke began flipping through the channels and his eyes turned to me. He laughed a bit embarrassingly.

"Is it that obvious?"

I couldn't help but laugh and placed my finger on my chin.

"Well my first guess was perhaps he was your idol and you just couldn't contain yourself from looking at him."

Yusuke gave me a playful side glare.

"Well aren't you a comedian."

I shrugged.

"I try."

Yusuke couldn't find anything on tv, so he asked me if it was alright if he could turn it off. After I gave him the okay, I went into the kitchen to get us something to snack on. I made some tea and got out some little tea cakes. I should have done this earlier but I was not expecting Yusuke to drop by at all. I'm glad he did though, its always nice to see him.

As we sat at the table, I couldn't help but wonder why Yusuke disliked Mr.Sakamaki so much. Maybe he wasn't too fond of his views or something. I was unsure if I should even ask, because Yusuke seemed quite visibly upset when he popped up on screen, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"So Yusuke, hope you don't mind me asking, but is there a reason why you have a disliking for Tougo Sakamaki?"

My question made Yusuke pause for a brief moment. He then lifted his cup to his mouth and sipped at his tea. Sighing, Yusuke put his cup down and began lightly tapping his finger on the table.

"Not trying to sound petty, but its just something about him. His air, the way he carries himself and how supposedly charming he is. Like its an act."

As he was talking, he had his eyes set on his fingers tapping at the table as he spoke. Yusuke's face was now down turned and his eyes became almost emotionless. Did he really despise him that much, despite not knowing him. Yusuke then looked up at me and put on a light smile.

"You ever wonder how people like him behave behind closed doors? Like should people really see him as someone they should idolize?"

His questions caught me off guard and I just sat there with my mouth slightly agape. Why was he asking something like that? I wasn't sure if I should even answer that question but its not like I had an actual answer to it.

Seeing as how I didn't have an answer to his questions, Yusuke closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry Hiyori. I'm sure I've made you uncomfortable just now."

I gave him an uneven smile and shook my head.

"Oh not at all, its just your questions really threw me just now."

Not just by what he suddenly asked me, but everything about him just now. He seemed very unlike his usual self, but do I even know his actual self. I mean I don't even fully know Yusuke, other than what I first got from him through first impressions. My silence apparently went on too long, and Yusuke snapped me out of it by offering to clean up. I didn't want him to but he insisted to do so. All while Yusuke took care of what little dishes we used, I got up to go to the bathroom, but the ring of the door bell stopped me in my tracks. Knowing who it was, I went to open the door without asking who was there.

"Hey Hiyori, oh I love your outfit. That's the one from when we went shopping right?"

I shyly looked at my clothes and patted myself down to swipe away at invisible crumbs or lint.

"Oh Thank you Yui and yeah it is, I figured to try dressing up a bit."

I invited Yui in and we went to the table where Yusuke and I were just at. Yusuke looked up from the kitchen sink as he was washing our dishes and gave Yui a cheery smile in which she happily returned in kind. Giving him a small nod, Yui greeted him kindly.

"Nice to see you again Yusuke san, are things well with you?"

Yusuke wiped his wet hands on a towel that was hanging up on a rod above on of the cabinets and made his way towards Yui and I.

"Good to see you again as well Yui san, and yes, things are pretty good. Hiyori told me that you two are heading out today."

Yui nodded.

"Yeah, there's no school today so we're just gonna go for a walk and maybe get something to eat, you're welcome to join us."

I perked up at Yui's offer and nodded my head in agreement.

"Yeah Yusuke, you should come along. It would be fun to get to know each other more."

Yusuke had an hesitant look on his face and right then and there I knew his answer before he could say it.

"Sorry to turn you down but I have to get back home to help my mom around the house. I came over to see Hiyori while my mom was folding up the laundry."

I frowned.

"Why aren't you helping her fold the clothes?"

Yusuke scratched his chin with the tip of his finger.

"Well, she thinks I do a sloppy job, so she takes care of it. I figure while she's doing that, I'd come over and see you."

I couldn't help but feel my face flush a tiny bit. I knew I had a light tint of pink on my cheeks, so I turned my head to the side and let out a shy chuckle.

"O-oh Yusuke, you don't have to waste your break time with boring ol' me."

I could feel Yui's stare on me and that made me feel even more embarrassed. I mean I don't dislike Yusuke but his actions were always so sweet, I couldn't help but feel flattered.

"Well, perhaps next time I'll hang out with the two of you but I got to head back, I'm sure my mom is almost done. It was nice seeing you again Yui."

Yusuke slightly nodded his head in her direction and she soon mimicked his action and bid him a farewell.

"And the very same Yusuke san. See you again soon I hope."

I walked Yusuke to the door and as I was about to shut the door behind him, Yusuke stopped and turned around.

"Oh and Hiyori thanks for the drink and snack. Also, you look really cute today. See ya."

With one last wave from Yusuke, I felt my face burn. Not knowing what to do or say, I simply closed the door.

Why did he have to say that, I bet I look very feverish now.

Giving myself a small fan with my hand, I composed myself and made my way back to where Yui was. Once I made my back to Yui, she was looking at me with a small knowing smile on her face. I wondered why she was looking at me like that.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?"

Yui giggled.

"Yusuke really likes you Hiyori. Its just cute is all."

At Yui's blunt statement, I couldn't help but trip over my words as I tried to let out a response to what she had just claimed.

"L-l-like M-me?! N-no way! Besides, he hasn't known me long enough to gain any feelings like that for me."

Yui simply hummed and took a seat at the table. I wasn't making it any better by stuttering like I was and denying it so quickly. Yusuke liking me? That's just ridiculous. I'm sure he sees me nothing more than just a friend.

Yui was still looking at me with an innocent smile plastered on her face, as if she was waiting for me to admit something.

"Yui stop looking at me like that. Anyways shouldn't we get going?"

Yui hopped up out of her seat as if she just remembered why she was here in the first place.

"Yup, lets go."

Before I headed for the door, I just remembered that I had to use the bathroom.

"Wait, I need to use the bathroom real quick."

Yui and I walked and talked on our way to our destination. She wanted to get something to eat before we went to the park but the cafe she wanted to go to was packed with people. It was the weekend and during the middle of the day, I'd be shocked if no one was in there at all. So instead of going to get something on our stomachs, we decided to just head straight to the park.

I'd never been to the park in this area after moving into town, it seemed like a friendly little area. People were out with their children, dogs playing around with their owners and couples sat around on the grass being all lovey with one another. It was a nice atmosphere to be around that's for sure.

Yui pointed towards an unoccupied bench and that's where we headed.

After we sat down, I took a deep breath inhaling the nice smell of grass and breezy air.

"Its really nice here. The grass is so green, the air feels clean, I really feel as if I can clear my head just by being here."

Yui couldn't help but agree.

"It is a nice place. You know, in the early stages of living with Ayato and his brothers, I use to sneak off here early in the morning and just have some time to myself. It was really rejuvenating for me everytime I came here."

As Yui spoke, she closed her eyes for a short while and then turned her attention back on the active people in the park.

Yui suddenly speaking about the Sakamakis, caught me off guard. I wondered if she's attempted to run away from them a few times. From what she just said, I don't think things were always nice in the beginning for her. I still don't know how she came to live with them nor did I want to ask her. Sure I was curious but I didn't want to pry.

"Oh Hiyori, I almost forgot to tell you, I couldn't get your phone back. Laito claimed that he lost it, but of course he's not being truthful. He just doesn't want to give it back."

I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back while groaning loudly.

"Why must he do this to me?"

Yui let out an unsure hum.

"How about you ask your father to get you a new phone?"

I shrugged.

"I've thought about that but I don't know. I mean I wouldn't want to ask him to get me something like a phone. That phone actually took a while to save up for, so I wouldn't feel right telling him that I lost it. Its not like I can tell him some boy stole it from me."

Yui cocked her head to the side.

"That's true. You don't have to come over Hiyori, I'll get your phone back. If not soon, eventually."

I appreciated Yui's dedication to getting what belongs to me back. I felt bad though that she was willing to try hard to get it back. I was honestly starting to feel like I should just give up on the phone and just try to wait until the time is right to ask Dad to buy me another one. I mean it should be fine right? He's making more money than he did before, so getting a new phone wouldn't actually be an issue. But how am I going to explain to him that I no longer have my phone. He knows I rarely to never use it, so why would it come up missing if its always sitting at home put away.

"No Yui its alright. I'll just have to deal without it for a while."

"But how will you keep in touch with me? I know you have a phone at home but I like texting you."

Yui and I both laughed. She could be so adorable.

"Yeah me too but don't worry, I'll just have to deal with it until then. So anything new with you and those boys you live with?"

Yui chuckled.

"Nothing new really, same ol' thing. Oh but their father did visit them last night."

Their father? I never thought about their parents. I mean I knew that they had parents but I wonder what kind of parents they are to have sons like that.

"Oh really? How did that go? Is their father, you know, a scary guy or something?"

Nodding her head slowly, Yui's face suddenly looked nervous.

"He's surely quite the intimidating figure. He doesn't live at the house with us but he occasionally drops by to sorta, check on his sons."

It seems that their father actually loves them. A relieved smile appeared on my face.

"Sounds like he cares about them. I thought that they would have a bad relationship with their parents or something."

Yui sighed and looked down at her feet.

"Well..."

Before Yui could say anything else, there was a sudden chime like ring coming from her pocket. After excusing herself, she flipped it open and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Curious of who was calling, I couldn't help but lean over to see what had caused her shocked appearance. But before I could see who it was, Yui pressed a button and then held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

While talking on the phone, Yui stared at me as if she wanted to tell me something but didn't.

"Laito kun..."

As soon as that name left her lips, I felt myself getting chills over my body yet at the same time anger began to well up inside me.

"You know Ayato hates it when you go in my room. There's nothing in there for you, now please get out of there."

Yui seemed a little peeved that Laito had called her out of the blue. Apparently he was up to no good and doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Yui brought her free hand up to to her forehead and sighed.

"Laito kun can you please put those back and shouldn't you be asleep."

Laito loved causing trouble. Its like he lives just to be a pest to people around him or something. I had no idea what was being said on the other end, but Yui kept sighing and rolling her eyes almost every second she was on the phone with him. I was almost tempted to snatch her phone away and demand Laito to return my phone but I didn't want him to know that Yui is with me right now. For all I know, he would probably show up here once he knew of my whereabouts.

"Well we couldn't have the dinner last night because you were missing. He wanted to see all of you. I know, I know."

Okay, now I was really curious. I motioned at Yui basically asking her was everything okay. Yui gave me an unsure smile and shrugged. I'm sure she'll tell me once she gets off the phone.

"Okay fine but only for today."

With one last sigh, Yui snapped her phone shut.

"Not trying to pry, but is everything okay?"

Yui turned towards me.

"Yeah everything is fine. Laito caused a little bit of a stir last night. Like I just mentioned, their father came to see them but not just to see them, to have a family dinner. Something they have occasionally. I think you know about that right?"

I nodded my head. Laito had told me about it. That's the dinner he wanted me to join him for, for him to borrow my company. It was part of the deal we made and in exchange he'd go easy on his blood intake. I'm still not even sure if he'd hold up his end of the bargain if I do join him for his family dinner.

"Well their father decided to postpone it until he knows for sure all of his sons will be present."

Well that explains why he was at my house last night. Not to make sure that I was okay, but to hideout until his father was no longer around. He doesn't seem like the type to run away, but I guess family issues don't discriminate.

"Oh Yui, if I had known that he had been ditching a family gathering, I would've called you."

Yui shook her head and sighed.

"Its alright, but he knows he can't avoid his father forever. Besides, once the dinner is done and over with, their father will be going away for a while."

"He must be a very busy man. What does he do?"

Yui looked as if she was unsure how she should answer. Perhaps she didn't know exactly what their Dad does for a living.

"Well he's a really important figure in the political world but I'm not sure 100% exactly what he does. All I know is that he's on television a lot."

He's on TV a lot? I frowned trying to figure out if I've seen him before.

"What's his name?"

"Tougo Sakamaki."

My mouth dropped and my eyes went wide in surprise.

"Tougo Sakamaki is their father?! Just...wow."

My loud and apparent shock startled Yui a bit and she jumped in her seat.

"I thought I mentioned it to you before."

I knew it. I suspected it and yet I didn't put it together even though it was right in my face. Wow, so Tougo was their Dad. He seems like such a well put together man and yet his sons are the complete opposite of him. Rude, fowl mouth and such appalling personalities.

"Well I sorta considered the thought when I heard the name, 'Sakamaki' on tv one day and then you mentioned the boys surnames to me at school. But I passed it off as just them having the same last name but no relations."

Yui nodded.

"Yup they're related indeed but they don't get along very well."

"Not that its any of my business, but why don't they? Is it because he isn't home a lot or something?"

Letting out a sigh Yui shook her head and looked down at her feet.

"Its not that I don't want to tell you but it's just that it's...complicated."

I nodded my head understandingly.

"No no its okay. Well whatever the reason, its just too bad that they don't get along. I mean they're family and despite the odds they should be able to at least come together and be cordial for a night. You think that's what Mr.Sakamaki wants from his sons?"

Yui shrugged.

"You know I'm not even sure what he wants. All I know is that when he's not around, Ayato and the rest act so full of life, but as soon as their father comes through the threshold, they become very uneasy to the point where they won't utter a single word."

Uneasy? You wouldn't even think that either of them knew what that word meant considering how they have behaved with me. To be honest, it sounds like a very somber situation. I mean I'm not too fond of them, but it sounds to me like their relationship with their father seems more than just strained. Perhaps their Dad did something that none of them can easily forgive or forget. I almost can't help but feel sorry for them.

"Hiyori do you want to head back? I mean we came here to hang out but the mood just isn't there anymore is it?"

She was right, things took a turn ever since Laito called her. Even when he's not around, he turns a good day upside down. Its a bit childish to blame him when it wasn't even intentional, but I also couldn't help but feel it was deliberate.

Letting out a light chuckle, I got up from my seat.

"That's true. I would suggest going somewhere to eat but I don't feel like waiting in line or dealing with crowds. Do you want to head back to my house and I can cook something."

Yui perked up at my offer.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll even help you. Besides, I've always wanted to try your cooking."

We arrived at my house which seemed to have taken forever. There were a lot of people outside today, and the streets were packed with cars and hordes of people as well. Even on our way back, we stumbled upon an accident that had happened. Good thing we decided to head back, because things were getting a bit too hectic out here.

As I pulled out my key to unlock the door, I could hear a faint noise coming from inside. Its sounded like people talking. Listening a bit closely, I guessed that it was the tv. That couldn't be it, I shut it off before I left.

"Hiyori is that the tv? You didn't leave it on did you?"

I shook my head.

"No I made sure it was turned it off before we headed out."

A terrifying thought coursed through my mind. What if Laito was inside relaxing on the couch waiting for me or something. With that thought in mind, I was very hesitant on entering my own home. Last night was a nightmare and this morning was a disaster. His face is not a face I'd want to see right now or ever for a long while.

Deciding to suck it up, I inserted the key and twisted the lock. Once the door was open, Yui and I slowly made our way inside. I headed in first and Yui was right on my heels. Once we made our way all the way in, I heard the faucet going in the kitchen. Okay now I know darn well that I didn't leave that running.

Then it crossed my mind that maybe...

"Hiyori there you are!"

It was Dad and my goodness did he give me a fright. I felt Yui jump behind me when he called out to me like that.

"I was wondering where you were. Did you head out? Oh..."

Dad paused taking notice of Yui right behind me. I felt Yui move from behind me and stand on the side of me. She lifted her hand and gave a light wave with a welcoming smile. As she did that, I spoke up.

"Hey Dad. You're home early."

"Yeah, something came up with my boss and he sent me home. Seems I don't have to work tonight. So is this the famous Yui you've been telling me about?"

Yui's face turned a light pink and I felt my face burn a bit. Why did he have to say that.

"Daaaad..."

Yui laughed at my obvious embarrassment and then introduced herself.

"Hello sir. Its nice to meet you. My name is Yui Komori, I'm sure Hiyori has told you about me."

Wiping his hands on a towel, Dad walked towards us with his hand out.

"Mr. Yamaguchi, a pleasure to meet you Yui, Hiyori really treasures you as a friend. The day she met you, all she could do was explain to me how kind and sweet you were."

I folded my arms and rolled my eyes.

"Dad come on, you make it sound like I'm crazy. He's exaggerating Yui."

Yui giggled and nodded.

"Whatever you say Hiyori."

After introductions were over, we sat at the table and began chatting. I told Dad about Yui and I going shopping and his jaw pretty much dropped on the table. I couldn't help but place my hand over my face at Dad's reaction, and yet all the while, Yui was cracking up as if it was the most hilarious thing she's seen.

His surprise is granted though, I was a hermit, so me going out for once was something of a shocker for the both of us. Yet with Yui, I could go out everyday if it was to hang out with her. Her company was definitely nice as I've said before.

Once we got all the niceties off the table, I decided now was the time to discuss the sleepover with Dad.

"So uh Dad, about that sleepover. You said that you wouldn't mind it if you met Yui, so what's your answer now?"

To be honest with you, I was mostly expecting Dad to just up and say, 'Sure of course!', but he actually showed a bit of hesitancy on his answer. He sat there for a few seconds with an unsure frown on his face and his arms folded.

"Hiyori, you know that I'm happy that you've found a friend, especially one so well mannered and has quite the character to her, but I'm not sure. I mean I know I've had no reason to play the whole overprotective Dad role, but Yui, do you have brothers?"

The surprise on my face was pretty unmistakable.

"Dad!"

At my outburst, Dad ended up dying with laughter.

"Oh I'm just kidding Hiyori, of course you can."

So it was just a feint. Well he sure did have me fooled for a short time there. Goodness, I never realized how embarrassing he could be. Yet if Dad only knew how, kinda, right he almost was, I could bet you, I wouldn't be heading to Yui's home.

"Just make sure to call me if anything arises okay Hiyori?"

I nodded excitedly and Yui showed obvious signs of happiness on her face. Even though I was hesitant on spending the night at her home with those guys around, I couldn't help but feel a bit happy as well. This was gonna be first sleepover with a friend and I couldn't wait.

But all that excitement was slightly drained once dad spoke up.

"To be honest with you, with me not having to work tonight, I was hoping we keep spend some time together."

And just like that, I felt bad.

"Oh Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it..."

Dad's right, we haven't been spending time together and that's something he wanted to change since we moved here. I wanted that as well, but ever since I met Yui, it hasn't been bothering me as much that I haven't been seeing Dad as much. I immediately felt bad. Almost as if I forgotten him or something and that's something that I never wanted to happen. Ever.

Yui noticed that what my Dad said, pretty much put a small damper on my mood and she spoke up.

"The sleepover doesn't have to be tonight, it can be any other night. I wouldn't want it to interfere with your time with one another."

I couldn't agree more with Yui.

"Yeah, it doesn't have to be tonight. Sorry I didn't consider you Dad."

Dad put his hands up and shook his head while laughing.

"Hey you two, I didn't say that to make you feel bad. Hiyori go ahead and have your fun, that's what I wanted for you remember?"

"But Dad its your night off, its not right of me to leave you here by yourself."

I then noticed that Yui looked at a nearby clock and then a thought seemed to have crossed her mind.

"I got an idea. We still have a few hours until we head over to my house, and Hiyori and I were gonna cook something together when we got here, how about all three of us do that."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Wow Yui, that sounds so cheesy but not a bad idea."

Yui puffed her pink cheeks and then gave me a light shove.

"At least I came up with a solution, something your Dad seems to actually be considering."

She was right. Dad sat there with his arms crossed and his eyes staring off into space.

Nodding his head, Dad agreed.

"Alright. Sounds like a plan, so what were you girls gonna cook?"

Yui and I looked at each other completely unsure and then laughed.

Dad, Yui and I had fun for the remainder hours until it was time for me to head over to her house.

Dad was off for the night because his boss was attending to some personal affairs he said. I honestly wish I could've kept him company at home, but he insisted that he would be fine and that I should go and have fun. I did promise him that his next day off, it'll just be him and me for the whole day.

Yui followed me into my bedroom to help me pack for the night. It was only one night, so I didn't need much, but she insisted that I could never have too much when spending the night at someone else's house. As right as she was, I still wanted to pack light. As I was packing, I almost forgot how uneasy I was feeling. I'm going to spend the night at the Sakamaki household. Just thinking about how they behave at school, I can't even begin to imagine at the thought of how they behave in their domain away from many curious eyes from the public.

Yui saw how uneasy I appeared and she laid her hand on my shoulder, then showed me a reassuring smile. As worried as I am, perhaps it won't be as bad as I'm thinking it to be.

Having everything in tow, Yui and I made our way to the living room, only to see Dad laid out asleep on the couch. I turned to look at Yui and she quietly giggled. I shook my head and walked over to him.

"See you tomorrow Dad."

After giving him a kiss on the forehead, I made sure I had everything and then Yui and I headed for the door. With everything in tow, we made our way outside.

I then saw that the Limo was already out front ready and waiting for us.

Without a second passed, we approached the car and went inside.

The ride didn't feel that long because I actually didn't want to leave the Limo. I've been in it before of course, but this is different. The boys weren't in the car with us at all, so it felt like a nice smooth and fun ride. Yui and I were chatting it up the whole way laughing at our own ridiculous antics.

As we pulled up to the house, my mouth dropped at the site before me. I wouldn't even dare to call that a house. Its like calling that a house would be an insult. The mansion was huge and very intimidating just by appearance alone. I was kinda scared to go inside, let alone approach the large gate. As we exited the car, my mouth was still open in amazement.

"Yui, this place is insane."

Yui and I approached the front gates and then entered.

"Yeah, I had the same reaction myself when I first arrived. Its very spacious, but you actually get use to it."

I looked at Yui as if she was crazy.

"How long did it take you to get use to it?"

Placing a finger on her chin and looking up into the sky, Yui pretended to ponder the thought.

"About 2 weeks."

We both laughed out loudly as we made our way to the huge impressive looking doors. Everything about this place screamed, 'Stay away'. The front gardens were beautiful though, and so was the mansion, but the air it carried was thick and full of something that I couldn't pin point. Almost as if this place was cursed.

Yui noticed that I was beginning to fall behind her and turned around.

"Hiyori, are you okay?"

At Yui's question, I picked up the pace and was along side her again.

"Yeah I'm alright."

Of course I wasn't alright, but I didn't want Yui to worry.

We finally made our way to the front door. Which was huge, it even had those huge door knockers placed in the middle of the door. Before Yui could knock on the door, it opened up for us with a loud creak and then there to greet us with such a cheerful, almost innocent smile, was none other than Laito Sakamaki.

I could feel my stomach do many flips and my knees shake. Of course its no surprise that he's here, but I was not expecting him to be greeting us at the door like this.

"Seems that I've rendered you speechless. Are you that happy to see me my love~."


	12. Chapter 12

**I just want say to thank you to Isla, a fellow reader that had pointed out a repeated paragraph in Chapter 11. Thanks to her, I was able to find the issue and fix it. Thank you so much Isla and thank you to all who have been enjoying the story.**

I stood there in front of the now open doors with my bag in my hands and my legs unable to move in their own. I didn't have anything in mind to say to him, nothing bad or good. So instead, I decided to greet him in a normal tone.

"Good evening Laito. Hope you don't mind me intruding for the night."

Laito stepped closer to me until he was in front of me. He opened his arms and held me pretty close to him. The hug he gave me felt so cold and meaningless, I couldn't help but try to wriggle right out of his grasp. Laito of course didn't seem to care that I was intent on distancing myself from him, and kept on holding me tightly to his cool body.

"You have no idea how happy you've just made me darling. Not only are you going to be sleeping under the same roof as me, but we also get to have dinner together tonight~."

I felt my whole body go still at his words. I mean yeah, I know that we're going to be sleeping in the same house for tonight, but how he said it. He said it as if he had more in mind throughout my stay here, and that made my blood run cold.

"Laito kun, let her go."

I almost forgot that Yui was there beside me. She pulled at Laito's elbow and slowly pried him away from me. She was successful in getting him away from me and that was either because of her strength as a vampire or he willingly let me go. Regardless, I was happy to no longer be in his arms. Once we got our distance, Yui grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, brushing past Laito. As she brought me further inside the mansion, I couldn't help but turn around only to see Laito's gleaming eyes staring at me in quite an eager manner.

On our way to the guest room, I couldn't help but continue to stop along the way admiring the beauty of their home. It was like something you see in a fancy magazine or something. I wanted to say it looked like a Victorian style home but at the same time, it seemed to have a style of its own. I wondered who designed it. Well whoever did, sure does have an unique taste.

Finally making it to the room, which felt like forever thanks to me, I couldn't help but gawk at the site in front of me. Yui had brought me upstairs to a beautiful and stunning looking room. The room was very pretty, with lovely drapes, a huge comfy bed with soft looking blankets and pillows, and it even had a vanity. What made it even more lovely for me, was that there were different shades of my favorite color purple. There was a tinge of Lavender and a tinge of Violet that mixed very well together in the room. It was almost as if this room was made for me. I have yet to see the entire house, but I bet once I do, I won't be disappointed in the least with it's elegant style.

Laughing at my shocked appearance, Yui gently nudged her shoulder against mine snapping me out of my trance with the room.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that you're happy with the room?"

I still was in complete awe at the room and I was speechless.

"Yui this room is absolutely astounding. Its huge as well, twice the size as my bedroom. Yui I couldn't possibly stay in something this extravagant."

Shaking her head, Yui guided me to the huge bed.

"Don't be silly, of course you can. I know its overwhelming but just remember, its only for one night."

I felt a little bit better at Yui's words. She's right. I can handle staying here for one night, its not like I'm gonna start living here. I laid my belongings on the bed and then sat down on the soft mattress. I immediately felt myself sink into the comfortable bed. Not being able to contain myself, I laid back on the bed and started giggling.

"Yui this bed is amazing. It makes me wonder if your room is better than this one."

Yui shook her head modestly.

"Its not all that great, but I love it. When I first arrived here, it was already prepared for me. As my time here went on, I suppose I started to change it a little bit to suit my taste."

I sat up off the bed and then stood in front of her while poking at her now pink cheek.

"Now I'm really curious to see your room~. I bet its really cutesy and stuff."

Yui began to blush a bit and glare at me playfully. Then she held her chin high and gave a confident response.

"Actually, it sure is."

I burst with laughter at Yui's prideful answer, then Yui soon followed after.

After a while, Yui helped me unpack all of what I brought with me. Even though I wasn't gonna be here long, she sure did act like I was gonna be. She told me to put all of my clothes aside in a few of the drawers and then she showed me the bathroom which was already in the bedroom. I had thought it was another closet but it was a whole bathroom.

She showed me the inside and it was very clean and well kept. It had a claw foot tub with a cream colored shower curtain, very fancy looking towels were hung up on the wall, and the bathroom sink was decorated with silver material and marble. Now if it was a house full of girls, I could understand why everything was so extravagant and lovely, but it wasn't. There were six boys and one girl living here. Why was everything in here so feminine and fitting for a woman?

I was about to ask Yui, but then a voice that wasn't Yui's stopped me from doing so.

"Oi chichinashi! Where have you been all day?"

It was Ayato. I haven't seen him since that night they had been looking for Shu. He stormed into the bathroom where Yui and I were, and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her closer to him. Yui's face grew red as Ayato leaned down to kiss her right in front of me. I don't even think he noticed me at all, but I felt that even if he saw that I was there, he still wouldn't have held back. I felt a bit shy by the display of affection that was taking place right in front of me and I had nowhere else to look but at my feet.

Yui was clearly taken by surprise at Ayato sudden kiss, and pulled away from him while turning her head away.

"Ayato! Please don't do this kind of thing with Hiyori here. Its embarrassing."

Ayato clearly couldn't have cared less that someone else was in the room with them, while he did such an intimate act with Yui, but Yui did. Ayato finally giving Yui some space, he finally turned towards me taking note that I was present.

"You? What the hell are you doing here?"

I wasn't surprised at all by Ayato's crudeness, considering that I experienced it first time I met him. Ignoring his rudeness, I greeted him as politely as I could.

"Um, nice to see you again Ayato kun. Sorry for the intrusion, but I'm gonna be spending the night here."

Ayato's had upturned into an obvious look of disapproval of my clearly unexpected stay. Did Yui not tell him? Or any of the brothers for that matter.

Yui then placed a hand on Ayato's arm to calm him down and explain.

"Well Hiyori is going to be spending the night here. A sleepover pretty much. It was very sudden, and I forgot to tell you and the others."

Ayato let out an uncaring scoff and continued to scowl at me.

"Whatever, as long as she's not in the way, then I don't care. Chichinashi, lets go to my room for a while."

Ayato went to pull Yui away but she placed her feet firmly where she stood.

"What? But I still wanted to show Hiyori around first..."

"I haven't had my fill today since you've been away from me."

"But Ayato...!"

Without waiting a second longer, Ayato lifted Yui up without much effort and threw her over his shoulder intending to carry her out of the bathroom. Yui's face turned many different shades of red at Ayato's action, and she began to move around wanting to be put down.

"Ayato what are you doing?! Put me down please!"

Despite Yui's protest, Ayato merely chuckled while placing a hand on her backside. When he did that, Yui let out a surprised yelp and stopped resisting. My eyes went wide at that very bold display that was taken place in front of me. Ayato really did not care in the slightest who was around. I wanted to say something but before I could, he was already storming out of the bathroom with her in tow. Thankfully before they were completely out of sight, Yui made sure to call out to me.

"Hiyori I'm sorry, I promise I'll show you around later."

Even after they were finally gone and out of sight, I could still here Yui's complaints and struggles. I stood there in the middle of the bathroom unsure of what to do next. I then had a sudden feeling of deja vu. Something very similar happened before with Ayato at school when I first met him and also with Subaru. Do they make it a habit pulling her away from me against her will. I sighed and shook my head, then made my way back to my room. When I walked back out to my room, I was met with a very disapproving glare.

"I was wondering why there was such a commotion and now I see. Also, I wasn't informed that we would be having a guest."

Reji san.

I didn't know what to say but I did know that if I didn't say something, that would further upset him for sure. Swallowing the little saliva that was in my throat, I released a shakey breath and gave him the best response that I could offer.

"I apologize for the sudden visit, I was invited here by Yui. She wanted me to spend the night here and I..."

Reji cut me off from saying anything more.

"And you nor her thought it would be appropriate to inform me first?"

Reji san sounded very upset. I didn't think it would this big a deal, but I must admit that I should've asked Yui if it would be okay with everyone else. I mean obviously Yui, Ayato and Laito didn't care, but what about the others. I didn't want to be here if I wasn't welcomed.

Reji saw that I had nothing else to say and looked over on the bed to take a look at my belongings.

"You say that you were 'spending the night' and yet you seem to have packed for much longer than your claimed stay."

"I swear I'm only staying for the night. I um, I just over packed. I'm sorry that it appears that way."

In truth, Yui was the one that jammed my bag with things, but I didn't want to throw her under the bus. Besides, its my fault for not checking to see if it would even be okay for me to stay the night here. I wasn't sure if I should make my way over to the bed or not. I really could not move. Reji's presence was beyond intimidating and I felt that I had to watch what I say or every move that I made or else I was gonna get a mouth full of harshness from him.

Reji fixed his glasses and then stared back at me. When his gaze laid back on mine, I couldn't help but step back a bit.

"Since your being here was completely unexpected and without permission from me, to make up for how irresponsible you were, you are to help me with dinner tonight. You will also help me clean up afterwards, am I clear?"

Without a second longer, I nodded without question.

"Y-yes."

With one last look from him, he walked out of the room and left me standing there completely petrified. Does he really want me to help with dinner? I mean, at best, I'm pretty average in the kitchen. My cooking isn't top notch, but I can hold my own pretty well. Sighing, I began wondering if staying the night here was actually a good idea.

 **A while Later...**

Yui had been gone with Ayato for quite a while, so I was left alone until she came back. Soon after Reji left after giving me a stern talking to, I quickly went to occupy myself by unpacking my clothes and setting aside my sleeping clothes. Even though Yui told me I could use the drawers, I just didn't feel the need to. I didn't plan on staying long especially after how Reji just greeted me. I clearly wasn't wanted here by him, and as much as I would like to avoid him, I couldn't because I agreed to help him with dinner. Plus, its not like I could say 'No'.

Sighing, I laid back down on my bed and covered my face with my arm. I felt exhausted and I haven't even been here long. Not knowing what else to do, I got up out of bed and walked over to the door. I reached for the handle but hesitated.

Did I really want to walk around this place by myself with blood thirsty vampires around? Absolutely not, but what else am I suppose to do. Yui wasn't back yet and I was actually bored.

Throwing caution to the wind, I opened the door and peeked my head out looking up and down the hallway. There was no one in site and it was pretty quiet overall.

Feeling more comfortable, I slowly began to ease myself out of the room. Closing the door behind me, I kept looking left and right to see if I would see a familiar face but no one was in sight. I started walking in the direction that was most familiar to me when I got here. Yui had brought me upstairs and down a hallway, and I could easily remember because of the lovely tapestry and such that I couldn't help but get an eye full of.

I walked and walked until I came to the stairs and then I walked down. Easing my way down the stairs, I couldn't help but stare up high at the gorgeous Chandelier that shined brighter than the sun. How come I didn't notice it when I came in? Oh yeah, because Laito greeted us at the door and Yui pulled me inside as fast as she could and away from him. Speaking of Laito, I wonder where he was. To be honest with you, I'm surprised that he hasn't popped up out of nowhere or grabbed me to take me somewhere private yet. I only saw him at the entrance and the last thing I saw from him was his overly excited menacing smile.

My thoughts were disrupted by a sound coming from the right side of me. It was coming from behind a slightly opened door. It was like a thumping sound followed by a string of swear words. I quietly walked closer to the door, bent down and looked inside. It was Subaru. He was playing darts by himself and seemed to be getting frustrated with the fact that he couldn't get a proper bullseye. As I inspected the room more, I could see more than a darting board, but also a pool table. This must be the gaming room. Goodness, I wonder what else they have in this place. I won't even be shocked if they have a pool somewhere. I hadn't even realized that I had pushed the door open a bit more. The door released a loud creaking sound, drawing attention my way. Subaru stopped mid throw to turn around towards where the sound came from, which was me. Not knowing what else to do, I stood straight up right away and apologized.

"Sorry for disturbing you. I didn't mean to peek, I heard a noise and..."

"How the hell did you get in here?"

I have a feeling I'm going to be hearing that a lot from these guys. Honestly, Yui really put me in a tight spot by not telling them of my arrival. Even if they wouldn't be as welcoming, at least they wouldn't be surprised every time they saw me.

"Are you deaf or stupid?"

Subaru's insults brought me to attention and I couldn't barely get a word out. He seemed more upset than Reji.

"Um I...well Yui..."

I didn't even realize that my knees were shaking. I thought I was going to lose my balance and fall over.

"Spit it out! The hell is wrong with you?"

I jumped clearly scared by the sudden raise in his voice. Not knowing how else to react to his screaming, I turned around and ran for it. He was really angry. Like really angry, as if my mere existence was a nuisance to him. I didn't know where I was going, all I know is that I had to distance myself from him or else he was gonna be more upset. I ended up upstairs and running down a hallway I hadn't recognized. I meant to go in the direction where my room was but ended up running in the wrong direction. Once I realized that I was going in the wrong direction, I stopped in my tracks. Breathing heavily, I looked around where I was and saw that the hallway was pretty dark and seemed isolated.

"Okay, so its very dark here. Where am I? I only ran down a hallway, that means all I have to do is turn around and go the other way."

I turned around to go in the opposite direction, only to feel someone cover my mouth with their hand. I immediately began to kick and scream desperately trying to get away from whoever had a hold on me. I tried to turn my head and see who it was but it was too dark to see anything. Unfortunately, I was no match for whoever had a grip on me, and they had started to pull me along and into a room. It was somebody's bedroom it seemed. I managed to calm down enough to take in my surroundings and see that whoever's room this was, sure did love the color green. Green? My eyes went wide at the realization.

The hand that was once on my mouth, had been removed.

"Surprise, bitch chan~."

I was half terrified and also half relieved that it had been Laito and no one else. I mean, its still not an ordeal I'd want to be in with him but my heart dropped thinking it was some monster or something.

Not knowing what to say to him, I glared at him with my hand over my chest. My heart was racing.

"Laito, you almost scared the soul out of me. Why'd you do that?"

Laito was clearly amused at the state he put me in and tilted his head to the side with a giddy smile on his face.

"Oh its so cute when you're scared, so I just couldn't resist. You were alone in the dark and right outside my bedroom, I just couldn't resist the urge my love~."

Of course he did it for his own amusement. I swear this boy never ceased the opportunity to treat me this way. After I gathered myself together, I took a look around his room, which was dim with light. Almost everything was green and very neat. He had a bed with four posts on it and even drapes on it. It wasn't a bad looking room.

I hadn't forgotten that I was alone with him in his own bedroom, but I didn't want it to show that it bothered me that I was alone with him in his bedroom, so I decided to strike up some kind of conversation with him.

"Wow, Laito you're very fond of green?"

Laito had moved over to his bed to lean up against one of the post with his arms crossed. His eyebrows shot up curiously and gave me a friendly smile while studying me.

"Well I believe it suits me. Does it not?"

I nodded while looking at his green curtains and then at him.

"Yeah it really does. Do you, um, feel relaxed looking at green?"

Laito frowned at my random question but answered as best as he could.

"Relaxed? Hm, I suppose so. But I think my lovers loved looking at me more than the color of my bedroom."

My face turned redder than red and I found myself turning away from him. There's no way he'd be able to have a decent conversation without bringing something lewd into it. I don't even know why I tried to be casual with him. Even though it was clear that what he said had bothered me, I refused to show him that it did. So I kept trying to be cordial.

"Oh...well I read some time ago, that the color green can have quite the calming effect. It can help with stress and other things."

I noticed that Laito was actually listening intently to me, so I continued.

"Green isn't a favorite color of mine, but I...I um, feel at ease when I look at it. Like I'm looking at a fresh field of green grass or something you know?"

Laito seemed to have been listening to me and let out a curious hum. Then he moved away from his bed post and slowly sauntered over towards me. As he got closer, I couldn't help but step back away from him as he got closer. Not liking the fact that I didn't want him any closer, Laito reached out without warning, and grabbed my wrist pulling me right up against his body.

"W-wh-hat are you doing?"

I was so close to him that I'm sure he could feel the pounding of my heart against his chest. His arm wrapped around my waist and to my surprise, he spun me around as if we were dancing. As he "danced" with me around the room, I couldn't help but look up at his smiling face. He was looking down at me with a light shimmer in his eyes. I wanted to say that they were more beautiful than ever, but then I saw something in his eyes that made my blood run cold. He was about to try something. I didn't know what, but I knew that I had to get away from him fast.

"Laito? Can you please let me go, I promised Reji that I would help him with dinner tonight."

Laito stopped spinning me but didn't let me go.

"First Shu and now Reji? So naughty of you to go from one brother to the next. Are you trying to get a rise out of me my love?"

At his disgusting accusation, I went to pull away but he only held onto me tighter. Causing me to wince slightly at his tighten grip. I saw that Laito had a tint of pink in his cheeks as he felt me struggle against him. Seeing that he was getting excited by my movement, I stopped.

"Such a shame that you stopped, but I'm sure that I can get you hyped up even more."

He began to me backwards toward his bed and I went to pull away from him. I actually managed to remove myself from his grasp, but before I could even get a foot away from him, he snatched me by my elbow and tossed me onto his bed. I rolled over on my back and went to scoot away from him but he grabbed my ankle, dragging me to the edge of his bed.

My chest was heaving and I could almost feel myself having a panic attack. The worse of the worse of things began to race through my mind. I had no idea what he was planning on doing to me but I knew I just had to get away.

Frozen in place, I could do nothing but lay there as Laito slowly crawled his way up over my body. With his body over mine, he leaned down so close towards my face, that our noses were touching and I could look at nothing but his eyes.

"Dilated pupils can be a sign of quite a few things you know? In your case, I'd say that you're either terrified or aroused. If its both, then there's no complaints from me."

I couldn't help but turn my face away from his. Laito was definitely too close for comfort and it felt weird to have him so close to my face. I felt that if I looked at him any longer, then he'd let his imagination run even wilder than it was already.

"I assure you that its not arousal that's causing it. Why do you keep thinking that I want you?"

Laito took my chin in between his fingers, making me look him in the eye.

"Well then, can you explain why were you surveying and caressing me while I slept? You can deny it all you want, but actions speak louder than words darling~."

I knew it. He was awake and fully alert last night. Of course he was, why would I even think that he wasn't. I got too comfortable and let my guard down that's what happened. Still though, I couldn't hold back the blood that rushed to my face and the shock that soon followed after.

"Just because I did that doesn't mean that I want you, it was just-..."

I trailed off not being able to finish my sentence. I had an explanation for it, but there was no way I could tell him what I was thinking. He would tease me to no end if he knew that I thought he was cute when he was asleep. He'd probably insist on having me sleep in his room instead of my own.

Laito waited patiently for an explanation from me but when it didn't come, he simply brought his mouth closer and closer to mine.

"Hm? Don't want to tell me? Just what darling~?"

Taking full advantage of my blank yet shy expression, Laito then slanted his mouth over mine and kissed me. I didn't know how to react at first, so I just laid there. I started to feel myself become use to him kissing me out of the blue like this. Not that I enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything new to me anymore and that was such a shame. I had never thought about having my first Kiss, but I never wanted it to be stolen nor emotionless. Kissing Laito was something that I couldn't fully describe. It wasn't pleasant nor terrible, but I wished that he wouldn't do it. Does he not care that kissing isn't something to just do nonchalantly, just as well as throwing the word "Love" around. What am I saying? Of course he doesn't care.

I hadn't even noticed that he was feeling all over my body. I felt his hand running along my leg, and then he cupped the back of my knee bringing my leg up along on his hip while pressing himself into me. I was still terrified out of my wits with what was going on. Not because of what he may do next, but because I was finding myself wanting him to continue and not wanting him to stop. My eyes had slowly began to flutter close and I felt my mouth moving with his and our tongues dancing together. The first time his tongue entered my mouth, I bit down on it without thinking twice, but now was different. I could feel myself not being as disgusted by it at the moment. What was he doing to me? I didn't want this, I know in my heart that I didn't want this.

Shocked to find myself kissing him back and falling into his embrace, I turned my head away as quick as I could, breaking the kiss.

Just what in God's name was I doing just now? I felt disgusted and stunned at my behavior.

Laito wasn't bothered in the least when I turned my head away from him breaking the kiss. Pretending to be hurt by my sudden stop of the kiss, Laito stared down at me with a pout on his mouth.

"Why'd you stop? Weren't you enjoying it darling?"

Enjoying it? No. I wasn't enjoying it and yet at the same time, I felt that I was. My body was in it's own world, whereas my mind was screaming to pull away from him. Almost as if he was controlling me or something. Then that's when I had a flashback to Shu's words that time at school on the stairs.

"As a vampire, I can force you to enjoy what you wish to not enjoy..."

I wasn't enjoying this, it was all him. All Laito's doing. He was making me feel this way, he was manipulating me into his arms with a few soft touches and a few kisses. Relief coursed through my body, so I turned my head back to look up at Laito and he had an arrogant smirk across his face, and at that, I just got upset. The nerve of him.

"You...you bastard."

Laito's eyebrows shot up in apparent surprise at the word that had just left my mouth. Then he laughed.

"I don't understand why you're so upset, you were feeling good weren't you?"

"Feeling good? N-no! No, that wasn't me feeling that. Y-you were doing something to me. Manipulating me into wanting it. I would never..."

"Oh you would never? Hmm, let's test that shall we."

At that, Laito bent down to nip at my neck to get a more heated reaction out of me. As much as I hated to admit it, his cool lips on my heated skin was making my heart race. I wasn't sure if it was racing out of fear or from what I was trying not to feel. I didn't want to give him what he was so eager to get from me, but it became too much. I bit my lip to try to stop a moan that almost slipped past my lips. Laito was not an idiot and I'm sure he noticed that I was holding back, so he took it upon himself to do something that had my face pale in shock.

I could feel Laito's hand ease its way into the front of my shorts and cup my now heated mound. As soon as his hand made contact between my legs, I began to struggle even more than ever. I reached down to try to pull his hand away but he only grabbed my wrist with his free hand and squeezed it tightly. He had such a grip on it that I thought he was gonna break it without hesitation. I went to pull him away from me yet again, only this time with my free hand, but it was no effort at all for him to hold both of my wrists in his one hand, while the other so brazenly violated my most intimate area.

My legs began to flail frantically, desperately trying to get him off of me and for his hand to remove itself, but he seemed to only see this as a challenge. To try and get me to submit to him and his touch.

Without warning, he began to gently rub in a circular motion with his hand. This action caused me to freeze. I've never been touched there before by anyone, nor myself. There hasn't been a reason for my mind and body to drift to such things. To be touched in a place by someone like Laito made me sick to my stomach and yet I found myself moving more into his touch. I shut my eyes trying not to fall into his soft caresses, but it was proving to be a difficult task.

Suddenly, I felt Laito's face come closer to mine and then he brought his mouth to my ear and whispered softly.

"I'm barely touching you and you're already like this? You're more sensitive than I thought. You're so cute Hiyori~."

I couldn't contain myself for much longer, and I ended up letting out a moan that almost sounded as if I was whining, almost begging for more.

Soon after that sound left my mouth, I felt myself snap out of it and tried to come up with a plan to get away from him. My hands weren't of any use to me at the moment, so I was only limited to my legs which were very much free from Laito's clutches. He was over me but I had a free shot in between his legs this time. He seemed to have let his guard down a bit, so I saw an opening and I took it.

I bought my knee up as quick as I could and hit him right in the middle.

With a grunt, Laito's hand had briefly loosen up on my wrist and I took that opportunity to free myself from him and pushed him away with all that I had. He flopped over to the side off of me, with his hat falling off his head and rolling over onto the floor. Not waiting any second longer, I jumped up out of bed and ran for the door.

Right as I went to reach for the door knob, the door swung open and I was met with a very pissed off Subaru. He looked down at me with a very annoyed glare and then looked behind me at Laito. Looking back down at me, Subaru reached out and grabbed me by the arm.

"Come on."

Before I could process anything, Subaru began pulling me out of the room and then down the hallway. He was walking so fast, that I could barely keep up with him. I was constantly tripping over my own feet because of his fast pace. He didn't explain anything or say anything as to why he needed me to come with him. I knew that if I asked, he either wouldn't answer or he'd give me an angry response, but I had to try.

"Subaru, where are you taking me? Is something the matter?"

And just as I expected, I was given no answer but an irritated grunt from him. As he pulled me along, I saw that we had made our way to the main entrance area and then he dragged me into the game room. Then that's when I saw Yui standing there in the middle of the room.

I had never been so happy to see her.

"Here she is, now stop yelling throughout the damn house."

Subaru practically threw me into Yui's direction and I almost fell flat on my face but Yui had caught me by the arm preventing that from happening.

"Hiyori are you okay?! Subaru, that wasn't necessary."

Merely responding with an uncaring 'Tsk', Subaru turned and left the room, leaving Yui and I alone.

"Hiyori I've been looking everywhere for you. I'm sorry that I left you alone. Have you been okay by yourself?"

I wanted so badly to tell Yui that I haven't been alright and that Laito was very close to having his way with me but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to say it. No doubt Yui would have blamed herself for what Laito had done and she would've been begging me to return home while apologizing for Laito's behavior. So instead of being honest, I held my tongue.

"Yeah I've been okay. I...uh, got a bit lost, so I was wandering around dark empty hallways. Yui this place is like a maze, I don't know how you do it."

Yui smiled in relief at my answer but at the same time, I could tell that she knew I was leaving something out.

"Well I'm glad you're alright. I wanted to let you know that I ran into Reji san, and he wanted me to tell you that he's waiting for you in the kitchen."

Closing my eyes while placing my hand on my forehead, I let out a sigh.

"Oh no I forgot. Reji san told me to help him with dinner."

Yui frowned clearly confused as to why I was to help with dinner.

"I was wondering why he wanted to see you, but I didn't ask him because he was already quite upset with me."

"Let me guess, because you didn't get his permission to invite me over?"

Yui bashfully hung her head while twiddling her fingers.

"S-sorry. I guess I was too excited to have you over, that I forgot to check in with the others."

"It's okay. Besides, I don't blame him for being upset, it was irresponsible of us to make plans without letting any of them know."

Yui nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Oh right, I was heading to the kitchen anyway to make Ayato some Takoyaki and since you're helping with dinner, lets head there together."

We left the game room and Yui led the way to the kitchen. Along the way, Yui had apologized on behalf of Subaru. Apparently, Yui had been looking for me throughout the house and had asked Subaru more than once if he'd seen me passing through the hallways. Of course, he got tired of her "yelling" through the house and just went to look for me.

"Its all my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone but Ayato was being so aggressive today."

I lifted an eyebrow and stared at her in disbelief.

"Only today?"

Yui was walking with her head down and her face carried a worry expression.

"I know what you're thinking and I know. But today he seemed a bit more on edge and clingy today for some reason. Maybe I'm over thinking it."

I looked at Yui and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you are. I'm sure in his own way, that Ayato just missed you. Even though he doesn't show, he probably loves it when you're around him."

Despite my efforts in comforting her, Yui still looked a bit unsure of my reassurance. She turned to me to get ready to say something but a stern tone snapped both of our heads straight ahead.

"You think its proper to not only be late but keep me waiting for you?"

Yui didn't seem as fazed by Reji's tone, probably because she was more than use to it, but not me. Reji was most definitely the authoritarian within the household without question. Everything about him screams disciplinarian and I wouldn't dare to get on his bad side. Yet, I feel like that has already been done from the first time I met him in the library.

I stood there with my mouth trembling with uncertainty on whether or not I should say something but I'm sure that Reji would see it as nothing but an excuse, so I simply just kept my mouth shut. Yui saw that I was hesitant on speaking, so she instead spoke up.

"Reji san, I'm sorry about that. It was my fault. I left Hiyori alone by herself and she got lost, we were heading to the kitchen just now."

Reji's features were far from relaxed and he looked from Yui to me.

"I believe that my question was meant for your guest, not you. Can she not speak for herself?"

I felt myself stiffen at Reji's snappy response at Yui. He really was upset with us and he has a right to be, but was all the attitude necessary. I had no clue what there was to say but all I know is that a response was in order, especially from my end.

"Its just as she said, I was lost and its my fault that I was late. I'm sorry for keeping you."

Reji said nothing for a while but then he shut his eyes letting out an aggravated sigh.

"Apologies are pointless if you don't even make an effort in making sure your mistakes won't be rectified."

Reji then turned on his heels and began walking away, but stopped and turned his head slightly looking back at us.

"I've prepared the meat, so you'll need to set the oven and place it in but not before you peel the potatoes and cut them into decent sized pieces. As you do that, I will be setting the table."

On that note, Reji than walked away leaving Yui and I standing there still absorbing what he had just ordered of me. I can't remember a time where I was ever spoken to in such a controlling and over bearing way before. It surely was an overwhelming experience that I know for a fact I'm gonna encounter again for as long as I know Reji.

I still had my eyes on Reji's retreating back, completely still at how pushy he was with me. My gaze was then pulled away from him as soon as Yui grabbed my hand ready to take me to the kitchen.

"Come on Hiyori, lets go before Reji san gets even more angry."

Pulling me along, Yui made sure I kept up with her as she brought us to the kitchen.

We make it to the kitchen and I was surprised at how simple and causal it looked. I was expecting it to be just as lavish as everything else I've seen in this place.

Yui walked me over to the counter top, where the potatoes were and handed me the potato peeler in which she got from one of the drawers. After Yui handed me the peeler, she told me to be careful and then went to work on making Takoyaki for Ayato. I wanted to ask her if it was alright to be making him something like that right before dinner but something is telling me that she would only agree with me while still making his food.

I could not see what Yui saw in Ayato at all. I mean he was far from prince charming, quite the opposite in fact, but Yui loved him all the same. I'm sure things were rocky for the both of them when they met. Yui did tell me that she would run off to get some time to herself. I think I now know how Yui might have felt when she first arrived here because I'm starting to feel it.

Yui was really good at making Takoyaki. I'm pretty sure she could even make it blind folded considering how much Ayato wants her to make it for him.

"Hiyori, I'm almost done over here, once I take Ayato his food, I'll come back and clean up."

"Don't worry about it, besides, I'm betting that Ayato wants you to stay with him instead of coming down here."

Yui's face was as red as a tomato as she carried the food out of the kitchen and to Ayato. But not before turning around and sticking her tongues out at me.

I shook my head giggling at Yui's childish act and continued to cut the potatoes as I was told to do.

I managed to peel and cut the potatoes without error. At least I hoped it was without error. I cut them into pieces not too big or too small, but I have a feeling that if Reji were to come in here right now, he'd nitpick at whatever he thought wasn't the way he wanted it. Once the potatoes were sliced, I looked around to see where the prepared meat was but I couldn't see it. Then I walked over to the fridge to see if it had been placed in there and it was. It sat Right behind a case of pudding cups. I started to think who in the house loved chocolate pudding and then I thought back to the funny story Yui told me about Ayato eating Kanato's pudding cup. These must've been Kanato's.

I reached inside the fridge to move them aside when all of a sudden a hand reached out and gripped my wrist preventing from reaching any further. A startled gasp escaped my lips as I turned to see who was it that hand their fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist. It was Kanato.

"Were you just about to eat one of my puddings?"

I was so surprised by his sudden appearance, that I almost didn't hear his question at first. Kanato took my silence as an answer enough and he squeezed my wrist. One of these days, my wrist is gonna end up in a cast with how much its been squeezed and twisted.

"You're not saying anything. Does this mean that I was right?"

The pain that was coming from my wrist caused me to whimper and I was only met with Kanato's angry eyes.

"T-that's not true Kanato...I was just reaching for something behind it..."

He tightened his hand on my wrist I response to my claim.

"Liar..."

He practically sneered at me when he called me a liar, causing me to try and pull away from him. Of course as usual, it was no use.

"I-I'm not lying, L-look there at that pan, that's what I was reaching for, not your pudding. Its dinner."

I pointed at the pan with my free hand andhoped that he would believe me and let me go, but it seemed like he didn't want to just yet. Kanato then stared into my face as if he was analyzing me, trying to figure out something. I began to think whether or not if he remembered me from school but then my answer soon came once his eyes went wide.

"You? Why are you here in our home? Are you the new one?"

What he said just now, caused me to ignore his painful grip on me for a split second.

"N-new one...?"

I was about to ask him what he meant, but then the sound of Reji's voice brought both Kanato and I to attention. Kanato even let go of my wrist, in which I was very thankful for. I brought my wrist to my chest and began rubbing gently it to ease the pain, hoping it wasn't swollen at this point.

Reji's stare was trained on both Kanato and me. He then crossed his arms while a sigh escaped his mouth.

"I tell you to do something simple, and it seems that you can't handle something even a monkey can do. Kanato, get whatever you came to get and leave. You're in the way."

Kanato grabbed a pudding cup and then glared at Reji. I thought for a second that Kanato was about to say something to him but he only stared him down for a short while and then walked out of the kitchen leaving Reji and I alone. I was too nervous to make eye contact with him, so I instead reached into the open fridge and pulled out the meat to get ready to put it in the oven.

"Why wasn't the meat in the oven sooner?"

I stopped in my tracks finding myself frozen at Reji's question and turned to look at him.

"I was cutting the potatoes like you asked me to do."

"While you were doing that, you were suppose to preheat the oven, that way by the time you were done with the potatoes all you'd have to do was put the potatoes in with the meat and then into the already hot oven."

"Oh...I'm sorr-..."

He cut me off before I could apologize and looked at me with a lot of irritation in his stare.

"If you dare to apologize one more time for your incapability to follow simple instructions, then I will punish you severely."

Reji's threat had me unsure if I should respond or not, so I just stood there looking between the pan of meat in my hands and him. He could tell that I was struggling with what to do, so he walked up to me and grabbed the meat out of my hands and then headed towards the stove. He turned the oven on and then placed the meat on top of the counter right next to the potatoes. I would've done it of course but he seemed to insist on doing it himself. I couldn't deny him that, let alone dare to open my mouth. It seemed that everything I said was thrown right back at me or I was met with a high handed remark from Reji.

While Reji waited for the oven to get hot, he turned his focus on the potatoes he told me to cut up. I could tell that he wasn't satisfied with what I had done, so I waited until he voiced his thoughts.

"Just as I expected, you didn't cut them properly."

"But you said decently sized. They aren't too big or too small..."

"Which knife did you use?"

Even though my knees were shaking out of nervousness, I forced my legs to walked towards him. Reaching for the knife I used, I picked it up and showed Reji.

"Um, this one?"

The knife I had used appeared sharp enough to cut the potatoes but while I was cutting them, I found it a little hard to cut through them well enough. I didn't think it was a big deal but I should've known better.

Reji grabbed the knife from me and held the handle of it firmly in his hand.

"The knife is clearly dull, which is why I'm sure you couldn't slice the potatoes thoroughly."

He then proceeded to pick up a few potatoes and showed me how lumpy and uneven they were. I honestly didn't see what the big deal was. I mean, what's it matter of they weren't cut to his liking. They were just gonna be eaten anyways, and I'm sure that his brothers could care less about the presentation of the food they were about to eat.

As Reji was explaining to me what I did wrong, while also telling me the difference between a dull knife and a sharp knife, I couldn't help my face contorting into a bored expression. Before I could clear it up, Reji had already noticed and snapped me out of it by slamming his hand down on the counter top, causing me to jump in surprise.

"It seems that am I boring you, so how about I demonstrate for you how sharp a knife should be."

At first I had no idea what he meant until he pulled out a small clean cut knife and reached for me. I pulled away in time to escape his hold, but I wasn't far away enough from him to avoid it the second time.

"Now you're trying to run away from your blunder and not accept the consequences that comes with your faults? You're even more inadequate than I thought."

I began shaking uncontrollably as Reji stared me down.

"R-reji san, I-I'm so very sorry, I promise I won't mess up again anymore. Please let me go, you're hurting me..."

Even with my obvious fear and pain, Reji then pushed me up against the counter, pressing my hip into it. Reji had a grip on my upper arm, forcing me to face my front and him stand close behind me. He then brought the knife dangerously close to my face.

"In order for you to better yourself, you must face the repercussions and then learn from it."

The knife that he had just casually waving it in front of my face, was then slowly brought against my cheek.

"Now as I was saying before, to be able to tell the difference between a dull knife and an already well sharpened knife, is quite simple actually. A dull knife, like the one you were using, is more likely to slip. Which is why your slices were so sloppy like that. But..."

The knife that was pressed against my cheek, slowly began being pressed into my cheek. I couldn't feel any pain as of yet but the cool touch from the blade already put me on enough edge to the point where I felt like I was hyperventilating. Regardless of my terrified state, Reji continued on his explanation.

"With a sharp knife, you won't have those issues. Because the edge of a sharp knife is so thin, that not much force is needed behind it to make a perfect cut. Which means all you'd have to do, is slowly and carefully press down..."

As he spoke, the knife on my cheek began to press harder into my skin that's when I began feeling a stinging sensation on my face.

"And then, you will have the perfect cut. Not an error at all."

With that, Reji pulled away from me and then placed the knife down on the counter with a slam causing me to jump. Once we were apart, I couldn't wait to get further away from him and scooted away from him as quickly as I could. Reji saw this and actually, to my surprise, looked a bit amused.

"I'm usually not lenient when it comes to incompetent people, and I'm not sure if you'll even be returning again, but keep in mind, that if do return here, you'll know what to do and what not to do."

Turning on his heel, Reji took his leave and left me there with a look of terror and disbelief of what had just happened.

I placed my hand on my forehead, feeling myself get a little light headed. So much happened and I haven't been able to fully process it. How could Yui have gotten use to this kind of lifestyle is beyond me, but all I know is that I wouldn't want to come here again anytime soon. I couldn't even bring myself to think about whether or not I'll be able to sleep comfortably here, but I just hoped it wasn't going to be an absolute nightmare.

A loud beep brought me out of my thoughts and I saw that the oven was ready for the meat. I hurried over to the meat and got ready to put it in the oven but not before quickly tossing in the potatoes. Once that was done, I placed the food inside and closed the door. I sighed tiredly, thankful that that was taken care of.

"Who would've thought cooking could be so intense in this house."

I then left the kitchen and headed to my room to rest until it was time for dinner to start.

I was laying in bed staring up at the ceiling thinking about my short stay here and considering if this was really a good idea. Its been pretty crazy and I haven't been here for no more than some hours. After I came back to my room to relax, Yui did drop by to see if I was alright. I tried telling her that everything was okay but she didn't believe me at all when she saw a small cut on my face. The cut wasn't bad at all, if anything it was more or less similar to a paper cut. It didn't hurt, but it did sting a little bit. Reji clearly did it to scare me but also showed me that it could've been worse had a angered him any more than I had at that point. He says he was being lenient with me, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. He called that lenient? I know Reji is smart, but did he even know what that word meant.

Even though my cut didn't need major treatment, Yui still took it upon herself to wipe at it with a swab of alcohol for me. I did appreciate it, because the bleeding stopped but it was still a little painful. I'm sure that if I wasn't careful, it would most definitely start bleeding again and that's the last thing that I needed to happen in a home full of vampires. I'm surprised that Laito didn't come running after me. I'm sure that he could smell my blood from quite a distance.

I began to close my eyes to try and squeeze in a nap but that chance was quickly taken away from me, when out of nowhere, there was a loud smack against the window. I sat up utterly shaken at the abrupt noise that jolted me up out of the bed. I careful got up and made my way over towards the window to see what had caused it and then I saw a little bat. It seemed to have ran into the window. I opened the window to check on the small creature but then I was greeted with a strong gust of wind.

"Whoa that's cold!"

The wind caught me be surprise and my body immediately began to shiver, just as well as my hair whipping all around. As I held myself in my arms trying to keep myself warm, I looked down at the supposed injured animal.

For a second there, I thought that it was injured but then it flapped its wings and flew away screeching loudly in the distance. Well that was certainly weird. I mean I've been experiencing strange things, but that was just odd. I wonder if that bat was one of their familiars or something. Either way, I couldn't help but get the feeling that something unpleasant was about to occur.

Brushing it off as nothing but the usual, I closed the window and made sure that it was shut tight. After I got the window closed, there was a light knock on the door, which had caused my heart to jump.

I had a feeling on who it was, I yelled at the person to come on in.

Yui came inside and made her way towards me. She saw that I was by the window and came over towards me.

"Hiyori I came to tell you that dinner was ready."

Yui then looked at my frazzled state and then at the window, wondering what had just happened.

"Um, did something happen?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and then fixed the drapes on the window.

"Nothing really. I only wanted some air but I had no idea that it was gonna be so windy tonight."

Yui then looked at me with pity in her eyes.

"I know that this whole thing is too much for you, and I hate that you're going through this just because you're my friend. If only they were at least a bit polite, then maybe you wouldn't be so upset."

I frowned at what Yui was assuming. She thought I wanted some air because I was upset at what I've been going through ever since I not only came here, but ever since I met them. Sure I was definitely overwhelmed with all the occurrences that I've had to deal with, but shockingly, I wasn't upset. Or at least not her definition of upset.

"No no, I'm not upset. Well, I mean I'm not all cheery and stuff but I'm not having a bad time either. I just wanted to clear my head a bit before dinner."

Yui clearly wasn't sure whether or not she should let what I said go, or ask me if I really wanted to stay the night here. I saw that she was struggling with what to say next, so I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Yui I'm fine. I swear. If something is bothering me, I'll be sure to tell you. I won't keep it to myself, especially if it concerns them."

Knowing who I was talking about, Yui squeezed my hand back and smiled, then nodded.

"Okay, and I'll be ready to listen."

Yui seems to think that I'll one day regret meeting her, but regardless of everything I've been through ever since I met her, I don't think I'll ever let that thought crossed my mind.

We headed downstairs to the dining room and I found myself in awe at the gorgeous room. The table was set up as if they were about to have dinner with a royal family or something. There were flowers in the middle of the long table, fruit bowls, napkins folded to perfection, fine china plates, which had dinner fancily placed on them and the silverware was definitely high priced. I thought back to what Reji told me when I first got here. He wanted me to clean up everything after dinner but I hoped that he didn't want me to perfectly polish the dishes and silverware. I didn't even want to imagine what he'd do to me if I dared to ruin these very valuable items that dressed the table.

Yui motioned for me to take a seat next to her and I did. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. I wonder how dinner was with them. Like did they actually eat the food but in silence or did they sit around and pretend to eat but in silence. I was soon about to get my answer when everyone began to show up one by one. Ayato came in first and sat down right next to Yui. He sat back in his seat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He didn't seem to want to be there but he also didn't want to have Yui by herself. Then came Kanato with his teddy bear held closely to his chest. As he made his way to his seat, he kept his eyes trained on mine as if he was expecting something of me. He didn't appear hostile but I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes any longer and looked down at the food on my plate.

I wasn't sure if I should start eating before everyone got here, but I didn't want to take that chance and get scolded by Reji.

Of course, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Reji soon came in and took his seat at the far end of the table. Even though he wasn't the oldest, you sure would think so if you met him for the first time. Soon after he sat down, Subaru strolled in with his usual scowling face and he sat a seat away from me. Then came Shu, who had his eyes closed the entire time as he made his way to his seat. He sat pretty far away from everyone and just held his head up, eyes closed and with his ear buds in.

Now the only one who was missing now was...

"Hi hi, my precious bitch chan~."

I couldn't hold back my annoyed huff and held my head down. I prayed in my heart that he wouldn't sit next to me but those prayers fell on deaf ears. With a skip in his step, Laito merrily sat down next to me and placed his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him.

"Oh how wonderful is this, to be able to have dinner together like this."

I rolled my eyes and reached for my fork to get ready to pick a piece out of my food. I wanted to distract myself from him, even though he was sitting right next me and with his arm around me.

At first I thought that Reji was gonna stop me from eating but I saw that remained quiet. I guessed that it was alright to start eating. The meat and potatoes were delicious. Reji said he prepared the meat, and he sure did do an impressive job on it. It was well seasoned and the juice from the meat drowned the potatoes nicely. They clashed perfectly.

"Hiyori is it good?"

Yui was next to me eating as well and saw that I was thoroughly enjoying it.

"It is. I've had great tasting meat before, but this is amazing."

As I complimented the food, I could Ayato let out an unimpressed scoff.

"Its not all that great. We eat stuff like this all the time."

Yui sighed at Ayato's remark.

"Yeah but Hiyori doesn't. No need to sound so spoiled."

"What is she poor or something?"

Yui looked at Ayato in a very disapproving manner and lightly nudged him with her shoulder.

"Ayato..."

I honestly wasn't as bothered by what Ayato had said as much as I thought I would be. I've almost become use to his rude tongue. Instead of being flippant at the mouth or finding myself offended, I let out a small awkward chuckle.

"Its alright Yui. To be honest with you, I do feel like a commoner here amongst you guys. I can't recall a time in my short life that I've eaten so well."

Yui smiled in my direction.

"Hiyori you're no commoner, you're just not use to this lifestyle."

Smiling in return, I then turned back to my food. As I was eating, I couldn't help but feel a few eyes on me. I peeked up and saw that Subaru and Kanato was looking at me. Feeling the weight of their stares, I slowly came to a halt with my food and met their gaze. I had no idea what to say, but the first thing that popped into my mind was to thank Subaru.

"Oh um, thank you Subaru, for earlier."

My thanks caught him a bit by surprise but then he quickly covered it up with a scary scowl.

"Hmpf, I didn't do anything to be thanked for. Just remember not to get lost, otherwise I'll gladly just leave you there to be stuck in certain scenarios."

I knew what Subaru was referring to at that last part. Thinking about Subaru finding me in Laito's room caused me to turn red from embarrassment. I could just feel Laito's eyes on me now, basking in my ashamed glow. Subaru had unintentionally saved me from Laito's grasp. His main intention was to find me for Yui, but he then ended up finding me in Laito's room underneath him. Despite him not intending to save me, I was still grateful nonetheless.

"Still thank you. I'll try not to cause anymore trouble all the while that I'm here."

I stared over at Reji to see if he was listening to what I was saying but I couldn't tell considering that he was eating with his eyes closed. I could only hoped that he had understood my indirect apology towards him.

"Awww but where's my apology~?"

Laito looked at me with puppy eyes and a pouting face.

I couldn't help but turn my face up at him for having the gall to think he deserved an apology as well. I then fixed my face and smiled sweetly at him.

"And what would I be apologizing for Laito kun?"

Laito placed his finger on his chin contemplating on my question.

"For hitting me of course."

Ayato smirked once he heard about me hitting Laito. He seemed more curious than impressed and leaned his head forward to look at me.

"Where'd you hit him? Usually he gets slapped by girls but its always funny as hell to hear."

I don't know why I was a bit shy to admit that I hit him. Maybe because I felt a little guilty for doing it, but me hitting him earlier was well deserved and I didn't regret that at all.

"I didn't mean to hit him, it just...happened."

Now it was Yui's turn who got interested only she aimed her attention on Laito, who was finding all of this humorous.

"Laito's always doing things, so don't worry about hitting him Hiyori. Laito, you should learn by now."

Laito placed a hand under his chin while staring at me.

"But Bitch chan, its so fun to watch her get angry. It never gets old and its tempting every time."

I rolled my eyes and went back to my food. As I was digging into my food, everyone except Shu and Reji began to talk among one another. It varied from brotherly banter, to heated threats from Subaru. It almost seemed normal to be apart of this little picture. I even found myself laughing a bit at some of the things Ayato was saying. Even though he was a crude and insensitive guy, he sure did know how to lighten up the mood. Laito and Ayato would occasionally tease Subaru by stating that they were the older brothers and that Subaru shouldn't talk to his elders in a certain way. Even Kanato would chime in a bit on that gag. I couldn't believe it, but I was actually having a pretty decent time at the moment.

"How lovely it is to see this. I haven't seen any of you so sociable since you were younger."

There was a smooth and mellow tone that carried out into the room. Everyone who had been chatting and laughing about, had immediately silenced. Everyone's eyes drifted towards the entry way of the dining room and a look of dread seemed to have casted over all of their faces. Shu and Reji were now at attention and I'd never thought I'd seen them so stunned before. It was unsettling to see them wear an expression such as that. It was now my turn to bring my eyes to where everyone was settled on and I was met with a pair of golden piercing eyes that seemed to not match the smile right up underneath them. After those eyes passed over everyone else, they were then laid on me curiously.

"Hello my dear, I don't believe we've met. My name is Tougo Sakamaki and Its indeed a pleasure."


	13. Chapter 13

I didn't know what to say at that moment. I wasn't sure if I should introduce myself or not to this man who just randomly showed up. He wasn't just any man though, he was their father. Tougo Sakamaki.

I was unprepared to meet him, and didn't think I would meet him so soon. As I looked around the table, I noticed that I wasn't the only one that was caught off guard by his sudden appearance. I only saw him on television, so to see him in person was pretty hard to absorb. He was well dressed in a fancy well tailored gray suit and his hair was white, kinda like Subaru's, and was pulled back into a ponytail that rested on the back of his neck. He was very tall and lean as well. I can now see where his sons got their looks, his genes were strong.

He was so polite and appeared well mannered when he saw me. Not knowing what else to do or say, I went to stand to introduce myself, but was stopped by Yui. She had laid her hand on my knee and gave me a look that basically told me to stay seated. I don't get why everyone here was so on edge, what's the issue?

I thought that the silence was gonna go on forever, but thankfully, Reji spoke up.

"Father? I hadn't received word that you were coming."

Reji then stood soon after he spoke and was about to head towards his father but Mr. Sakamaki walked over to him instead.

"Well I do remember mentioning that I was planning to come for our family dinner some other time."

Reji moved out of the way and gave up his seat for his father.

"Yes you did mention that, but we hadn't expected you to come so soon. Especially without calling first."

Mr. Sakamaki then took Reji's offer of his seat and then sat down. Reji then took up another seat.

"Usually I do let you boys know, but I know that whenever I do, some of you tend to go into hiding before I get here."

Their father's eyes traveled over each of his sons at the table in annoyance, his eyes laid on Ayato, Laito and Subaru the longest, and then he smiled.

"So to avoid that from happening, I came up with an idea to just show up out of the blue and I'm glad that I did."

Mr. Sakamaki's smile then widened in victory as he looked at each of us at the table. He then stared at me and bowed his head lightly in my direction.

"Because I see that you all have made a new friend."

I attempted to open my mouth and say something but then Yui grabbed my hand and stopped me. She then was the one to speak up.

"Actually she's a friend of mine. I invited her here, I hope you don't mind."

Even though Yui clearly wasn't too fond of the man, she still remained polite and respectful. Everyone, except Yui, Reji and I, was staring at Mr. Sakamaki in such a loathing way. The atmosphere was completely different from just a few minutes ago. It went from carefree and full of laughter, to dead silence and thick tension.

"Of course I don't mind Yui, but I would love to hear your guest introduce herself if that would be alright."

Straightening my back and lightly bowing my head, I spoke.

"Nice to meet you sir. My name is Hiyori Yamaguchi, and I appreciate you not minding my stay here."

Mr. Sakamaki chuckled and then leaned back in his chair.

"Of course I don't mind. All friends of Yui's or any of my sons, are welcomed here."

A forced smile appeared on my face, but I couldn't help but quickly drop it. I don't know anything about this man but something just didn't sit right with me. On television, he didn't seem like a bad man but in person, I almost couldn't help but feel as if there was something sinister and mysterious about him. I mean, I know he has to be a vampire as well, so that alone makes him erie enough as it is, but it was just an ominous air that surrounded him that didn't sit well with me. Maybe I'm judging him too soon.

As my thoughts wandered, I heard a scoff from the right of me and saw that it came from Ayato.

"That was pretty dirty of you but I'd expect nothing less."

Mr. Sakamaki's looked at Ayato and raised his eyebrows innocently.

"What ever do you mean son?"

Ayato narrowed his eyes, then slammed his fist on the table causing everything to rattle and some things to fall over.

"Don't fuck with me old man!"

Yui and I were the only ones who jumped at Ayato's outburst, whereas everyone else was relatively calm. Their Father didn't seem upset at Ayato's disrespectful tone and language, but he didn't have much of an expression on his face. He just stared blankly at Ayato for a while and then he spoke.

"I see you've yet to adjust that attitude of yours. I'll ignore your impolite tongue for now, considering that we have a guest present."

Even though Ayato was still clearly upset, he didn't dare say anything else slip out his mouth. I noticed that Ayato wasn't the only one at the table that was visibly upset. Subaru was also quite angry but he kept his mouth shut and arms crossed while he merely glared at his father. Shu stayed silent but seemingly uncaring about the whole thing. Kanato also stayed silent but he looked as if he was staring at his worst nightmare. What in the world is going on? Everyone is so on edge, that I can't help but feel as if something major is about to take place. The only one that didn't seem to mind Mr. Sakamaki's presence, was Reji. If anything, Reji spoke to his father in a respectable tone and even offered him his seat at the head of the table. Why is everyone else not too fond of him being here but Reji is all for him staying and being nothing but welcoming.

As I looked on at the uneasy picture that was happening in front of me, I felt a hand on my thigh. Jumping at the sudden skin contact, I looked down to find Laito's hand causally stroking my thigh. I bought my eyes up at him and gritted my teeth clearly bothered by the fact he's doing something so bold at the table. I didn't want to yell at him and cause a scene, so I reached down and pushed his hand away. Not wanting him to touch me again, I scooted my chair a bit closer to Yui to be out of arms reach from him. Yui looked at me knowingly, and then at Laito.

My movement caught Mr. Sakamaki's and Reji's attention, but only Reji opened his reprimanding mouth.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to give him the whole truth, I answered him as best as I could.

"Oh um, sorry, but...Laito was bothering me. I should've asked you first if I could move my chair."

Reji was ready to give me a tongue lashing, but his father quickly prevented that from happening by speaking himself.

"My dear, you shouldn't be the one apologizing. You've done nothing. I must say that my son is lacking in what is acceptable and what is not. Especially when it comes to a young woman."

Mr. Sakamaki smiled at me shortly but then his eyes landed on Laito.

"Laito, you never learn."

At that, Laito coldly and blankly stared at him in return. At first I thought that Laito was about to lash out at his father the same way that Ayato did, but he put on a fake smile and folded his arms.

"What's there to learn, when I've been taught from the best."

Bringing my eyes up to look at Mr. Sakamaki, I could've sworn that I saw the corner of his mouth twitch in frustration. Did Laito hit a nerve? He had to have struck something because his father didn't bother to say anything else. I brought my hand up and wiped away some imaginary sweat. The air in this room was so suffocating, that I was eager to exit even if it meant jumping through a window.

I saw that Yui had laid her hand on Ayato's, I'm assuming to calm him down. He was still fuming in his seat at being unable to say anything else to the older man. Ayato wasn't the only one that refused to say anything, so were the others except for Reji.

Seeing as how no one was going to say anything, Mr. Sakamaki took it upon himself to finally say something that would spark his son's interest.

"I know that I've said my reason for coming here unexpectedly, but I also have another reason. As you know, I'll be leaving for a while to take care of something important, but before I leave, I wanted you all to know that a while ago, something very interesting came across my path."

Mr. Sakamaki then sat up straight in his seat and folded his hands together then placed them on the table.

"I'm sure that none of you will care in the slightest, and I know that a guest is present, but I think it'd be best to tell you all anyways."

While everyone waited for him to continue, I couldn't help but stand up out of my seat to get ready to excuse myself. Surely he doesn't mean to reveal something to his children and Yui with a complete stranger at the table. Its not like I was gonna tell the world, but is he really okay with talking about certain matters with me present. Even though he didn't seem to mind, I still didn't want to be rude.

"Mr. Sakamaki, if this is something that's only meant for family ears or those real close to you, then I can step out."

Chuckling deeply at my politeness, Mr. Sakamaki dismissively waved his hand and gestured for me to sit down.

"My dear its quite alright, by all means take your seat. I can assure you that I'm not revealing anything too personal while a guest is here."

Slowly easing myself back into my seat, I nodded in his direction and sat still, along with the others, waiting for him to continue with what he was about to say.

"As I'm sure you all know, I'll be leaving town for a while but for a reason that I've kept from you all for a while. A long while ago, I came across some orphans that seemed to be in an unfortunate situation. Putting it as bluntly as I can, I have taken the orphans under my wing."

Mostly everyone at the table didn't hide their surprise at their Father's sudden drop of news. So he had adopted some children and kept it secret from his sons? That seemed like a very noble thing of him to do. I mean keeping it secret from his actual children wasn't noble but I'm sure he has his reasons. I actually wanted to praise him of his good deed but I was stopped from doing so when a very pissed off Subaru stood up out his seat and slammed his fist down on the table. The impact triggered a few things on the table to either wobble or just fall over, and the only ones that were startled my the sudden action, were Yui and I.

"What the hell do you mean?!"

"I mean that I've adopted the children. Well I wouldn't call them children anymore but I think my statement is clear enough. I didn't think it would bother the lot of you. Especially you Subaru."

"It doesn't. Its just that I know you're up to something..."

Subaru wasn't the only one that was not so thrilled about the news. Ayato didn't seem to keen on their Father's decision as well. He glared at the older man for but a second, then smirked.

"Got another trick up your sleeve old man?"

Mr Sakamaki smiled innocently and raised an eyebrow.

"Can you not accept the fact that I simply wanted to give those boys a good and proper lifestyle?"

The corner Ayato's mouth twitched as if he was holding back on saying something. He was probably holding back due to his Father's earlier warning, but that didn't stop him from being flippant.

"No, Father, I can't accept it, let alone believe it. Whatever it is you're planning, you better leave Yui out of it."

When Ayato had called Yui by her name, that had surprised me immensely. I never heard him call her anything but insulting and rude nicknames. Ayato must be really upset and serious with his father if he had to call Yui by her given name.

With that being his final say, Ayato stood while grabbing Yui's hand and marched himself and her away from the table exiting the dining room. I stared at the both of them all the way up until I couldn't see them anymore and then I looked down at my plate. This was actually pretty awkward. No, more than awkward. I should've insisted more on leaving the room, that way I could avoid being in the middle of some serious family drama. I felt bad for being here, I mean even though their Father swore that it was fine, it just didn't feel fine. I mean this was clearly something personal that should be discussed amongst family only and here I am, I stranger, right in the center of their family matters.

Noticing that I was in deep thought, Laito leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"A penny for your thoughts my love~?"

I perked up at Laito suddenly whispering into my ear but I didn't move away from him. Instead, I gave him an honest response. Nodding my head, I leaned closer to him.

"I'm just...sorry. I shouldn't be here while you all have this discussion."

Laito's surprise at my apology was evident and he sat up straight while looking at me quite puzzled. He looked as if he was gonna say something else but instead he let out an interested 'Hmpf'.

Before I could question Laito about the look he gave me, there was a sigh that came from the end of the table. It was of course, Mr. Sakamaki. I saw that he had his head tilted down and was rubbing his temples in a stressing manner. Slowly lifting his head, he looked over at Laito and I staring at us curiously. He stared at me for a very short time and then brought his eyes to Laito. I could've sworn that I saw Laito twitch a little bit out of the corner of my eye. He met his Father's gaze with a blank expression and then put on a fake smile. Mr. Sakamaki then return a grin in kind.

"Laito, I heard that you've been suspended from school quite often for your inappropriate behavior with some female students."

"Why Father, you make it sound as if they weren't willing."

"Whether they were willing or not, its tiring when I get calls like that. Either clean up your act or I'll be forced to send you away for a while."

Laito shrugged and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed.

"That actually sounds pretty boring, but..."

I was caught by surprise when Laito reached over and pulled my chair closer to him to where it was before. I held onto the sides of the chair thinking I would have slipped off had I not braced myself.

Laito then threw his arm around my shoulders and placed his cheek against mine and began rubbing his cheek on mine.

"If you do send me away, will it be alright if I bring one thing?"

Flustered by his show of affection, my face burned and I went to pull away from his hold.

"L-laito...!"

How can he do things like this even in front of his Father. He truly has no tact whatsoever.

Mr. Sakamaki sighed and shook his head disapprovingly. Even though he looked as if he was bothered by Laito's actions, he didn't seem too phased by it. Maybe its just my imagination.

"Such display of affection with your significant other shouldn't be at the table. At least in your private rooms, I'm sure you know this."

Significant other?! Does his Dad think that we're dating? Oh no no. Not even close. Heck, we're not even friends. We're merely acquainted with one another because of Yui. My eyes were wide with embarrassment and I waved my hands denying his Father's assumption.

"Oh no no sir, it isn't like that at all I swear."

Laughing at my denial, Laito placed his lips against my temple and gave me a small peck.

"You're so cute when you deny what we have~."

Pulling away from him, I gave him a heated glare.

"We have nothing and you know that. I'm Yui's friend, not yours."

Laito pouted his mouth and then let out a hurtful sigh.

"You're so cold to me."

Once we were separated, I scooted my seat away from him once again and refused to look at him. I wish Yui was here but Ayato had dragged her away after he got mad, so I was pretty much stuck here until further notice.

Not wanting to look at Laito, I ran my eyes over everyone else at the table. Shu was still shut out from everyone, Kanato was picking at his food, Subaru still had an angry scowl on his face and Reji was eating his food as if he was forcing himself to. Did he not like to eat or something? Its like cooking dinner was utterly pointless considering that only a few of us were eating. Its quite ridiculous that Reji made a big deal about dinner and no one, not even himself, is making an effort in eating it.

I was so lost in thought that I hadn't realized that had been trying to get my attention.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that..."

"I was wondering if I had seen you before. I feel as if I've met you before."

"Um, not that I can recall sir. Not to be rude, but what makes you think that we've met before?"

's forehead had wrinkles in them as he pondered about something. Had he seen me before? There's no way I've met him. I'm positive that we've never met, I'm pretty certain that I'd remember meeting someone like him.

Mr. Sakamaki snapped his fingers clearly figuring out whatever he had been thinking hard about.

"Ah, you wouldn't happen to be related to a Genjiro Yamaguchi wouldn't you?"

He now had my full attention at the mention of that name.

"Uh yes, that's my father actually."

"Well what a small world. If you're wondering how I know your father, it is because he works for me. He's a very hard working and reliable man."

So my father works for their father. Wow, it is a small world. Even though I didn't know what it was exactly my Dad did for work, I felt that I should keep that to myself, so I bowed my head in 's direction.

"I'm glad to hear that he's been very helpful to you. My Dad has always been very hardworking."

"He is indeed. Which is why he's going to accompany me out of town."

I blinked my eyes in surprise.

"He is?"

"Did your father not tell you?"

"Well uh, no. He didn't..."

I wonder why Dad didn't tell me that he'd be leaving town for work. Knowing him, he probably didn't want me to worry or be left alone.

The sound of a utensil hitting a plate caught my attention and I saw that it was Kanato still playing with his food. The sound of the fork he was using scratched across the plate as he stabbed and picked at his food. The sound was making me cringe and my ears felt as if they were being assaulted by the noise. As Kanato was causing a disturbance with his actions, Shu suddenly stood up out of seat and was about to leave the table when his Father called out to him.

"Leaving so soon Shu?"

Shu didn't face him but slowly came to a halt in his steps. At first I thought that he was going to say something but it was Reji who opened his mouth.

"What a cowardly thing to do."

I did not expect such a harsh thing to be said. I mean sure Reji has a cold and harsh tongue, but it was different than when he usually speaks. That was pure distain in his voice. No, distain seems too tame of a word to describe Reji's tone with his brother just now.

"Now Reji, you needn't be so mean to your brother."

Not even turning around nor acknowledging what was said to him, Shu continued on his way out of the room. Even though Shu didn't seem to care about Reji's remarks, I still couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. I wanna think that maybe deep down he's bothered but refuses to show it, then again another part of me truly believes that he could care less about his younger brother's opinion of him.

Mr. Sakamaki watched as his eldest son left the room and then turned his head towards Reji.

"I see that you still harbor harsh feelings for your brother?"

Reji simply answered his father with a nonchalant huff and continued to pick a little at his food.

With Shu, Ayato and Yui gone, the tension that was in the air, seemed to have lessen a bit, but I could still feel it there. Laito kept his eyes on me while occasionally poking me with the tip of his finger constantly trying to get my attention whenever he caught me spacing out, so that got real annoying. After a while, Kanato took his leave as well with his bear in his arms. He left behind quite the mess after playing with his food like a 2 year old toddler. I'm one hundred percent positive that I'm going to have to clean that up as I've been told by Reji.

Reji and their Father every now and then carried on with small conversation which mostly entailed family related issues. They actually seemed to get along somewhat compared to everyone else. I haven't seen Laito act hostile towards his Dad but at the same time, I couldn't sense anything at all that he would be particularly fond of the older man either. Subaru obviously didn't like the man either which was obvious by the constant glaring every time his Father opened his mouth or laughed.

This whole family seems very dysfunctional and full of hostility. Well now that I think about it, would a family of vampires be all hunky dory and full of love and care for one another? At least not with them, and that's something that I can't see ever happening. That says a lot considering that I haven't known them long.

Nearing the end of my thoughts, I managed to over hear talking to Subaru. I didn't hear exactly what was said, but Subaru stood up out his seat angrily and looked as if he was about to pounce over the table and attack his Dad, but stayed put of course.

"You bastard!"

The older man simply chuckled at Subaru's outburst. He's clearly use to his sons enraged behavior, seeing as how whenever one of them yelled an obscenity at him or used in their daily vocabulary, he either laughs it off or sighs.

"I asked a simple question. I don't understand why you're being so difficult in answering it."

"I don't have to answer a damn thing! You should know how she's doing! She's there because of you anyways!"

Utterly lost on what they were talking about, I sat there staring at the exchange between father and son.

"Is it so bad to want to know how your mother is fairing?"

Without warning, Subaru stormed over in his Father's direction. Once he reached him, he grabbed his Father's collar.

"You...you...!"

Subaru raised his fist ready to strike his Dad, but I found myself standing up out of my seat wanting to put a stop to what was taking place in front of me. I hurried over to the both of them and held onto Subaru's arm hoping he wouldn't strike him.

"Subaru no! You shouldn't hit your Father. Whatever it is you're upset about, don't solve it with violence..."

For a moment there, I thought that Subaru was going to ignore my words and hit his Dad anyway, but he surprisingly backed down. He let go of his Father's collar and backed away from him, he then looked at me with anger clouding his eyes. I thought that I was gonna be his next target for his words but he seemed to have given up and yanked his arm out of my grasp while letting out a defeated sigh.

"Tch...fuck this..."

And with that Subaru stomped away and out of the room. I released my breath without even realizing that I had been holding it in the first place.

I heard one clap after another coming from the side of me and saw that Laito was applauding.

"Bravo, bravo my darling. You never cease to amaze me~."

Ignoring Laito's praise, I tiredly made my way back to my seat and sat down with an exhausted huff.

"That was quite brave of you and very much...impressive. Do you always act before you think?"

"Its not that, I just...I don't know. I apologize for getting involved but I couldn't help myself."

Mr. Sakamaki shook his head dismissing my apology.

"I assure you that your interference was very much appreciated."

He then stood up out of his seat and straightened his clothes. His dress shirt was a bit wrinkled now because of Subaru but he only smoothed the wrinkles away. He then looked down at a still sitting Reji while fixing his cufflinks.

"As nice as it was to see everyone, I'm afraid that I have to take my leave. I can't stay away from work too long especially when I have more to take care of regarding what I've told you all. I see that everything around here is still as they were, so I have nothing to worry about."

That last part sounded a bit ominous but I didn't think more of it.

Reji then stood getting ready to see his Father off like the well mannered son that he is. It was kinda hard for me to picture Reji being quite polite. I mean yeah its his Father and respect is supposedly a given when it comes to your parents, but Reji has shown nothing but his cold side to not only me but to Yui and his brothers as well. As was about to exit the room, he stopped and then came towards me. I couldn't help but stand up nervously as he came closer to me.

"It was very nice meeting you."

Bowing my head, I returned his compliment in kind.

"The very same sir. Again, I'd like to apologize for being here during family matters. It wasn't my place to listen to something so private."

"As I've said before, its not a problem. If anything, good thing you were here, otherwise my son would've caused quite a bit of ruckus. Anyways, I'll be off. Reji, see me to the door, I'd like to discuss something with you on the way."

Nodding, Reji walked along his Father's side towards the exit and to the entrance. Still standing, I watched as the both of them walked away. They looked so equal to one another and seem to be shoulder to shoulder. I wonder why the others don't seem to get along with him but Reji apparently does. It was very awkward for me to be a bystander to what all went on at the dinner table. I almost got up out of my seat and left the room, but thank goodness I didn't, otherwise Subaru would've nailed his Dad.

Exhausted from all the family drama, I couldn't help but lean against my chair and sigh.

"Its been a long while since we've had such an eventful dinner."

Rolling my eyes at Laito's comment, I began walking around the table picking up everyone's plate. Figured that I might as well get started on cleaning up before Reji gives me an earful. As I was walking around picking up plate after plate, Laito was out of his seat and sitting on the table with his legs crossed fancily. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time I circled the table picking up plate after plate. Even though it was wishful thinking, I'd really appreciate it if he actually helped me rather than watch me.

"You'd make a cute maid you know. Oh I have an idea! I have this cute maid outfit that belonged to one of our previous maids, you have to put it on. Nothing would excite me more~."

Previous maid? So they do have servants? Well he did say previous, I don't think they have any maids or butlers anymore, but why?

"You don't have servants anymore? What happened?"

Shrugging, Laito hopped down off the table and made his way to me.

"Our dear ol' Father, thought it'd be better if we "learned how to be responsible". Its funny though that he expects something like that of us, when he himself is quite careless himself."

Now careless isn't what I'd expect from a man like their Father, but who am I to say, I only met the man tonight. Even if their Father was being a bit hypocritical, I'm sure he just wants them to be better than he was or is. Whatever the situation is between them and their Dad.

"Well I'm sure you heard of the saying, 'Do as I say, not as I do', right?"

Laito chuckled and tapped the tip of my nose.

"You and that cute little mouth of yours keep me so entertained. I don't think I'll ever get bored of you."

"Oh how fortunate for me." I drawl out sarcastically while rolling my eyes. As I was trying to keep myself steady with the plates in my arms, Laito perked up as if an idea just popped in his head. Noticing that I was struggling, Laito thought it would be funny to get behind me and wrap his arms around me. I could feel his cold lips placed on the back of my neck causing me to shiver uncontrollably and I almost lost my balance. There weren't that many plates but they were quite heavy with the forks and spoons that were placed on top of the stack.

"Whoa...! Laito careful, I don't want to drop these."

Despite my concern for the plates, Laito still held me close to him while nuzzling his face onto my neck. I heard him inhale and then let out a pleased exhale. What is with him smelling me like that all the freaking time?

"You always smell so nice, but you smell nicer than usual. New perfume maybe?"

"I don't wear perfume, now let me go. Reji needs me to clean up and you're keeping me from doing it."

Giving my body a squeeze, Laito laid his chin on my shoulder. With the extra weight added to my shoulder, it caused me to lean and some of the utensils that were on the plates, fell to the floor. I groaned annoyingly.

"See what you did, now Reji's gonna-..."

Laito bit my ear preventing me from finishing my sentence. I winced at the unexpected bite and tried to shake out his grip, but he only brought his lips to my ear.

"You're not forgetting our deal are you?"

Confusion adorned my face as I tried to figure out what he was talking about.

I heard him sigh in my ear as if he was disappointed in me.

"My oh my, don't tell me you really let it slip your pretty little mind..."

Laito clicked his tongue while shaking his head. His arms started to slip from around my body and he gave me a little bit of space. I took advantage and distanced myself from him. I placed the dishes down on the table and bent down to pick up what I dropped.

"Laito, look whatever I forgot, I'm sorry. I didn't forget on purpose, its just...so much has happened in such a short time, so you have to excuse and consider my cluttered mind."

I wasn't sure if I actually felt bad for forgetting something that Laito had discussed with me, but I knew it was right to apologize for it. I want to ask him was it something important or if he could just tell me, but something's telling me that he wouldn't just tell me, he'd make me work for it. He mentioned a deal. A deal...what deal...?

As I put the fallen utensils back on top of the dishes and went to pick up the whole stack again, Laito was suddenly in my face, nose to nose with me.

"Such a shame you don't remember, but keep in mind that I do. You. Owe. Me~."

Laito gave me a peck on the nose and then sauntered away leaving me alone in the dining room. He says that I owe him but what is it that I owe him? He remembers what? I really hate that I can't recall what he's talking about. I'm sure that it wasn't too long ago, so how could I forget so easily. I shook my head hating myself for my mind being so overwhelmed with so many different occurrences constantly happening. Whatever it was that he was talking about, I know that it couldn't be good on my end.

With the dirty dishes in my hands, I carefully headed towards the kitchen to get started on cleaning. I placed the dishes down on the counter top and filled the sink with water and dish soap. As I waited for the sink to fill with water and bubbles to arise, I took whatever leftover food that was on the plates and tossed it in the garbage. They really didn't eat anything at all. Such a shame, considering how good the food was and what all Reji did to prepare it. I know I helped but Reji was the one who prepped the meat and set the table. All I did was peel potatoes and place the meat on the oven. I wonder if the only reason why every one didn't really eat, was because they were caught by surprise when their father showed up unexpectedly. Before arrived, things seemed to be going relatively normal. There was idle chitter chatter and teasing jokes amongst the brothers. It felt quite joyous almost. Yui did tell me that they had their moments where they acted as siblings did, minus the whole vampire thing. I'm actually a little happy that I got to see them in that kinda light tonight.

The water had reached the top and I turned off the faucet before it overflowed. Placing the dishes in the water, I began washing.

I noticed that Reji hadn't come back yet from seeing his father off, which was perfectly fine with me. Reji would probably be breathing down my neck about how to properly wash dishes and not to break anything as I washed them. He's such a perfectionist that I bet if he came across a crooked picture in a hallway, it would drive him insane and he'd have the urge to fix it immediately.

I giggled to myself thinking of Reji loosing his mind over a small thing like an uneven picture.

"Instead of being amused at whatever mindless thought you just had, try focusing on what I assigned you to do."

The commanding tone of voice gave me quite a fright and I couldn't help but jump a bit. The plate I washing, slipped out of my hand and fell back into the sink with a splash. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was with that menacing voice. I didn't want to face him, so I picked up the plate that I dropped in the sink and turned my attention back to washing it. Even though I was too nervous to look at him, I didn't want to ignore him and act like he wasn't there.

"R-right..."

There wasn't much else that I could've said, especially with Reji watching me so closely. All he had to do was stand there and I felt as if there was a large amount of pressure on me. All I was doing was washing the dishes, so how come it feels as if my life is on the line just by rinsing off some plates. I'll tell you why, because Reji is a perfectionist that won't accept anything short of perfection. He's the type that if he doesn't do the task himself, then it isn't done correctly. I honestly don't think there's any other word to describe him or his behavior. Well of course, he's overbearing, commanding, intimidating, strict, firm and lets not forget his harsh and cold demeanor towards me.

Despite Reji staring at my back and giving me the chills, I managed to finish the dishes. While I went to dry my hands and clean up any water that splashed around the counter top, I felt Reji walk up behind me pretty closely. His closeness made me tense up and hold my breath. He didn't say or do anything but his very presence had me on edge completely. I tried to ignore him by drying the wet dishes and then putting them away, but a pale cool hand wrapped itself around my wrist stopping me from my task. My eyes went wide in surprise and I turned my head to look back at him.

"Reji san...?"

He only stared down at me as I craned my neck to look up at him. We met eyes and he had a look in his eyes that I couldn't fully describe but it looked a bit familiar to me. After a short while, Reji finally said something.

"I'm gonna assume that being clumsy and clueless at the same time is a talent of yours?"

The look of confusion was pretty evident on my face seeing as I had no idea what he meant by that. Thinking it was just another jab at me for not being capable of doing anything right in his eyes, I simply frowned not replying to his mean remark to me.

Reji then lifted my wrist so that it was pretty much in front of my face. I saw that I had a thin red line across my finger. I must've cut it on one of the knives while washing the utensils. I probably hadn't even noticed it because Reji had suddenly made his appearance and my only goal was to finish the dishes then leave.

"Oh, I didn't even notice it. I'll clean it and then...w-what are you doing...?"

Reji had brought my finger towards his mouth and then licked slowly along the thin cut. His cool tongue brought some temporary relief to my cut but that relief was short lived as he suck at my minor wound. The suction was causing my finger to throb and a pain that ached along not only my finger, but my entire hand as well. I went to pull away but Reji held on tight not giving any sign that he's gonna let go soon.

"Reji...you're hurting me..."

The suction had slowly came to a stop but his lips remained on my finger. Reji stared at me and then narrowed his eyes.

"You humans are so weak and pathetic. You cower and flinch at even the slightest thing, yet you're supposed to be the most superior species."

The look Reji gave me was one of loathing and a strong sense of hatred that lied within his eyes. I stared back at him completely lost and clueless as to why Reji would just suddenly out of the blue say those things to me. If he doesn't like humans then fine, but why look at me as if I just offended him by just merely existing. I wanted to look away but Reji was staring at me so intensely, that I felt frozen and my mind was blank. I was soon snapped out of my blank state when I felt Reji wrap his arm around my waist pulling me closer to him. The sudden closeness immediately put me on edge and my heart began racing so fast that I thought I stopped breathing for a second.

I stared up at him with fear in my eyes and waited to see what his next move would be. Then without warning, he brought his head down towards my neck and then bit down. A small surprised yelp left my mouth as soon as his fangs pierced my skin. I was so close to him, that I couldn't bring myself to even push away from him. My body was almost crushed against his, with no space in between us whatsoever. Regardless of that, I attempted to struggle free and I even tried to stomp on his foot so that he could loosen his grip on me and then I could find an opening, but I soon found out that that was a bad idea.

Reji pulled away from me and then glared down at me with a look that could kill anyone from a mile away.

"If you try that again, you'll live out the rest of your days in the dungeon with me being your frequent visitor punishing you relentlessly, senselessly and however I see fit."

I froze. That wasn't a threat, that was a guaranteed promise. A part of me wanted to strongly believe that he wouldn't carry out his threat but of course, I didn't want to test that. Reji saw that my movements halted and then he smirked as if he just thought of something.

"Looking at you like this, I'm almost tempted to take you down there right this moment."

Reji stared at me contemplating whether or not he should carry out his threat. Did they really have dungeons here? Whether they do or don't, I don't want to find out at all. I shook my head with wide terrified eyes and practically begged.

"N-no...please don't...I won't do it again. I just...it just hurts so much and I can't take...-"

Reji interrupted me with a sharp tone in his voice.

"Be quiet and stop sniveling. It's outright pitiful."

Reji then pulled me close to him again and then leaned in towards my neck continuing where he left off. He didn't continue from where he first bit, he instead bit me elsewhere giving me another fresh wound a little bit above the first bite mark. As usual, it was painful but I had to keep myself together so that I didn't anger him. I didn't want things to get worse for me than it already was. I felt my knees buckle as Reji drank more and more. I could feel the blood being sucked from the vein in my neck and it was mind numbing. I was starting to feel weak and also loose my balance. I tried to grip onto Reji's clothes to hold myself up but I couldn't hold on tight enough because I was so drained. I didn't even have the strength to hold onto Reji let alone hold myself up. Reji still had his arms wrapped around me but he was hunched over me with his head buried in my neck taking in his fill. The position we were in was clearly uncomfortable but Reji didn't seem to care. With only Reji holding me up, my body had finally given up on me. Soon after, my vision began to get all hazy and my eyes fluttered closed. No longer being able to stay conscious, I had finally passed out.

Reji lifted his head and looked at my limp unresponsive body. Not bothered at all with my unconscious state, Reji let my body fall to the floor with a thud. Reji wiped his mouth with a handkerchief he pulled out of his breast pocket and stared down at my body.

"Honestly Father, I don't understand your fascination. She's as plain and bland as all the others."

 ** _lllllllllllllllllll_**

 _"Your plans and experiments are absolutely vile and horrific. I won't help you no matter what you do or say to me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I helped you with such an idea."_

 _"No matter what I say or do? Well now that's tempting."_

 _Was I dreaming? Who are these people? They seem to be arguing. I couldn't see their faces, but it appears to be a man and a woman. I stood in the middle of a room, a room that seemed to be a lounging area. There was a fireplace burning brightly, and comfy looking chairs that were currently unoccupied. As I took in my surroundings, I noticed the man began to move in closer to the woman. The woman was not intimidated in the slightest and held her ground._

 _"In a sense, I don't really need you but you're the only one within my reach. At least for now..."_

 _The man reached his hand out and placed I on the woman's stomach. The woman let out a gasp and then put some distance between herself and the scary man while holding her belly protectively._

 _"How did you...? No. No, I won't let you."_

 _"Then do as I say and your offspring shall remain untouched."_

 _So she was pregnant. The woman was torn and clearly unsure if she should do as the man says. Her head was down as she rubbed her stomach. The man reveled at the woman's internal struggle and laughed. The woman then lifted her head and apparently glared up at him._

 _"You won't prosper anything with your cold ways."_

 _The man's wide smile dropped and was replaced with a cruel uneven smirk._

 _"Oh I beg to differ. I shall give you time to think about it. You see, I can be merciful."_

 _I couldn't help but feel my heart wrench for the poor woman. Even though I couldn't see her face, you could just tell she was in so much pain at what was transpiring between herself and that man. As I looked on at the two people, I noticed that they began to fade away from my sight. Not just them, but everything around me began to waver and slowly dissipate. Before the vision in front of me disappeared, I could've sworn I saw the woman turn her head in my direction._

 ** _llllllllllllllllllllllll_**

After writhing around in my sleep for a while, I finally jumped up out of my sleep and put a hand over my forehead. My face was slightly wet from sweating and my heart felt as if it was to leap out of my chest. Breathing heavily, I slowly became aware and took in the sight around me to see where I was. I was in a big soft bed and covered in a huge blanket that engulfed my whole body.

I placed my hands on my cheeks and gave myself a small pinch on each cheek to see if I was still dreaming. That dream felt so uncomfortably real. It wasn't scary but I couldn't help but feel as if I was trouble or something. Who was that woman and what was her and that man talking about. Something about experiments I thought I heard. After I gave myself a small tinge of pain on my face, I felt myself slowly coming back down to earth.

"That was an intense dream."

I went to stretch and twist my neck to crack it but I was met with a sharp ache. I let out a hiss as the pain throbbed along my neck. I brought my hand up to where it hurt and felt some small punctures. The wounds were burning and aching. I winced and pulled my hand away. I didn't expect Reji to bite me. I know that he's a vampire as well, but he just didn't seem the type. I figured that he would go for someone that was more mature at least. I wonder though if it even really mattered who they drank from. As long as it was blood, then they would go for it without question.

As I sat in bed, the sound of a door opening caught my attention. Who walked in the room was the one person that I did not feel like seeing.

"Oh wonderful, You're wide awake bitch chan~."

Laito strolled into the room and made his way towards the bed. He then sat down on the edge while looking at me with a cheery smile on his face. I stared at him in suspicion and put my guard up. Laito noticed how tense I had become and put his hands up in defense.

"Now now calm down. I don't understand why you're so guarded, you should be thanking me."

Narrowing my eyes, I looked at him not sure if I should believe his words.

"And what should I be thanking you for?"

"For picking up your delicate defenseless body from the kitchen floor of course."

He helped me again. I couldn't help but be reminded of when he brought me home from school after Shu bit me. He isn't the type to do something out of the goodness of his heart. He has helped me a decent amount of times and I'm sure he'll want something in return.

I sighed and placed my hand on my forehead. I was too tired to even get snappy with him, so I simply just gave him my gratitude.

"I um, I appreciate your help. That's twice that you've helped me in a situation like that."

Laito let out a hum at my thanks and cocked his eyebrow.

"Keeping count I see, how touching~."

I rolled my eyes but soon regretted it. I began to feel dizzy and I swayed a bit. With a tired moan, I fell back onto the bed with my head falling onto the soft pillows behind me. The coolness of the pillows made me feel at ease a bit but not enough to cease the dizziness. As I lay there in my weakend state, Laito made his way closer to me and leaned over my body. Clicking his tongue, Laito stared down at me with interest. I looked into his eyes trying to follow where they were aiming at. His eyes eventually landed on my neck, the spot where Reji left his mark caught his attention.

I couldn't tell if he was upset or not but I weakly raised my hand towards the fresh bites on my neck and covered them.

"Please don't be upset, I...Reji...he pretty much threatened me. I tried to pull away but he..."

I don't know why I felt like I had to explain myself to Laito, but I did. Maybe I didn't want him to get upset or the wrong idea. The wrong idea? And what might that be? Much to my surprise, Laito didn't appear upset in the least.

"Upset? Oh no my dear bitch chan you've got it all wrong. It's actually quite exciting~."

Laito's face had began to heat up and his eyes had become glossy. Was he really so sick in the head to think that it was exciting that his brother had drank from me. I frowned and started to wonder if Laito actually got a rise from the fact that his brothers were actually taking turns drinking my blood. If that was what the situation was, then my predicament has just reached a level of an absolute high on the radar. This was beyond a code red. This was a code black.

Even though I was disgusted at my could be true theory, I couldn't hide my anger and frustration with him. Oh how I wanted so badly to yell at him but I barely had the energy to utter a sentence. Reji had taken more blood than Shu and Laito combined. He was rougher and more greedy, drinking as if he was trying something new making him automatically take more than necessary. I honestly didn't think Reji wanted to bite me, but he did and that was a terrible experience. I seriously thought he was gonna kill me right then and there.

Even though I couldn't get my voice in order, I still tried to speak but nothing but quiet whispers of words left my lips. Laito saw me struggling and smiled.

"Look at how helpless you are. In my bed, hair splayed across my pillows, and frail. It's like you're serving yourself to me on a platter."

I saw that Laito had begun to lift his hand up and bring it towards my face. He was gonna try something while I'm at my weakest. He's so low. So very low and absolutely cruel to take advantage of me in such a state. I close my eyes waiting for his unwelcomed harassment to start but it never came. I slowly peeked open my eyes only to see that Laito was holding a small bottle in between his fingers. The small bottle was dangling in front of my face and I watched as its contents swished back and forth on the inside. Focusing my eyes closely on the item in Laito's fingers, I saw that the small vial had contained a light purple liquid and it seemed to glitter a bit as it shook on the inside.

Peeping my curiosity, Laito smiled while tossing the vial in his hand.

"I know you're wondering in that pretty little head of yours what this is and I'll gladly tell you."

Laito flopped down on the side of me and perched himself up on his elbow while staring down at me. I met his eyes watching him as carefully as I could readying myself for whatever onslaught he may have prepared for me. Fortunately, it never came. Seeing that I was becoming a little less tense, Laito began to explain to me why he was carrying around that mysterious bottle.

"This little thing just may be the cure into helping you feel alllll better~."

Uncertainty clouded over my face. Amused at my cautious behavior, Laito chuckled and continued on.

"Don't worry, it's one of the many of Reji's concoctions."

Now I was really worried and it showed. Was Reji a chemist or something. That's a terrifying thought. I can only imagine him coming up with many poisons and having many poor victims being at the mercy of his blood curdling experiments. I wouldn't dare put it past him. I shook my head obviously not wanting to partake in whatever was in that vial.

"Oh sweetheart, it's not like it'll kill you. I believe what Reji mentioned, was that it was made to ease the body or something along those lines. I know you're scared but not to worry, I'm here~."

A wry smile graced Laito's pretty face and my concern grew. Mustering up whatever energy I had, I forced myself to finally sit up and allowed words to finally leave my mouth.

"No..."

"Hm?"

"I said No! I-I would rather suffer and recover on my own than to take whatever toxic liquid is within that bottle. I'll just go back to my room, and get better on my own. Some sleep and I'll...I'll be fine."

As I tried to move the covers off of me and get up out of bed, Laito had pulled me right back down. My body was already in a feeble state, so when he did that, my body just crumbled into the mattress and I was back into my previous position. Laito only looked at me enjoying every bit of my vulnerable appearance.

"That feistiness and headstrong attitude of yours blends so well together. You continue to thrill me in so many ways, especially those eyes of yours. I notice that whenever you get riled up, they glimmer a bit."

With that, Laito's face came closer to mine. Our noses were pretty much touching and we held each others gaze.

"I...I have my Mother's eyes."

I haven't the faintest clue why I had said that, but it seemed that Laito was a tad bit interested in my random fact.

"I bet your mother was a beautiful woman. Probably just as tempting as her innocent daughter."

Ignoring his inappropriate statement about my mother, I continued on with carrying whatever conversation we were having.

"My mother was a lovely woman indeed. She was modest about her appearance though."

Laito shook his head slowly clearly not agreeing to what I said. I stare at him and see that a dark shadow casted over his eyes and he seemed to be thinking about something.

"A beautiful woman is never humble about her physical appearance. She'll pretend to not want any eyes on her, but she'll do every little thing that'll attract any wandering eyes. Beautiful women know they're beautiful and they always have their own way of flaunting it. I'm sure your mother was the same way."

My mouth dropped and my heart clenched in anger at Laito's disrespectful assumption of my mother.

"You didn't know my mother, so don't you dare feel as if you have the right to talk about her like that. My mother wasn't like that."

Laughing at my defensive tone, Laito cupped my cheek.

"All women are the same. They crave attention and they thrive for it. In your own little way, you love the attention I give you right?"

Smacking his hand away, I moved a bit away from him.

"You're confusing attention with harassment. I don't love the fact that you're somewhat interested in me."

"Lying is very unbecoming of you. Need I remind you how you responded to my touch hours ago."

His hand made its way to my thigh and he began rubbing it lovingly. Knocking his hand away from me yet again, I glared daggers at him.

"That was...that was not something that I would do. That was all you. Also, not all women are how you describe them to be."

Laito propped himself up on his elbow with his hand under his chin.

"Oh really? Care to share?"

Not expecting to be put on the spot, I froze trying to think of how wrong he was. Then I thought of something.

"Well...how about me."

A puzzled yet curious expression graced his face.

"You?"

"Yeah me. You say women are all the same, but what about me. Would you put me in the same boat as all the other women you've encountered in your life?"

Laito seemed to ponder this and I actually felt victorious for once. I may have actually stumped him for once and I felt a little proud of myself.

While I sat there basking in my temporary glory, Laito finally had an answer for me.

"Hmmm...No. No I wouldn't put you in the same category as my past lovers but I would put you in the same category as Bitch chan."

Same as Yui? That doesn't sound like a bad thing at all, but by looking at his smiling face, I had a feeling that this was about to head in a twisted direction. Now it was his turn to have me waiting for an answer. Feeling myself gain a little energy, I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

"And what do you mean by that? Just how do you see Yui?"

"A cute little thing she is. I've had her quite a few times when she first arrived here."

I felt my cheeks blush at Laito's bold confession. Laito saw that my face had a bright tint in them, and he giggled.

"Unfortunately, I hadn't had the pleasure to have her in the way that you're thinking. Her blood was special."

I felt myself, oddly enough, relax at Laito's explanation. I wasn't sure if it was relief for knowing that Laito and Yui never got together in that way, or for Yui's sake. I would have pitied her had she had given herself to this sick pervert. I felt myself getting protective of her and I found myself glaring at Laito.

"Yui told me that she had a hard time when she first got here..."

Laito nodded with a gleeful smile on his face.

"So scared and lost. Caused quite a bit of a stir for the first time in a long while in this empty shell of a house. She eventually did adjust to her new lifestyle."

Laito got up from where he was and closed what little space was between us. I tried to back away from him but forgot that there was a huge headboard behind me preventing me from moving away from him. Regardless, I still pressed my back more and more into the hard surface.

"Bitch chan wasn't easy at first, but she soon fell into our arms. Well more specifically, Ayato's arms. She never looked back..."

"S-so what are you trying to say...?"

"Even though you're not how the women I've came to know very well are, you still are like a young woman that I know. You're not like all women but I'm sure you're also like some women."

Frowning, I was a bit lost on his words but at the same time, I think I know what he meant. Women share many different and unique traits, but for the most part, Women are still put in the same category as being the same. I may not be like those promiscuous types that Laito is use to, but I'm like Yui. I'm the same as Yui. The same as a woman. Even though that's what he's, saying, I still don't fully agree with him.

"No matter what, at the end of the day, I'm me and me alone."

Laito's mouth stretched wider and wider and then a bellied laugh eventually escaped his lips. Once his little laughing fit was over, Laito took the small bottle that was in his hand still, and twisted the top off of it. I sat there not sure what he was planning on doing, but then next thing you know, he put the bottle up to his lips and poured the mysterious liquid into his mouth. My eyes went wide and I felt myself reaching up to stop him from drinking what was in that vial. I was in no condition to be moving around and so quickly, so when my hand grabbed at the bottle, I ended up knocking it out of Laito's hand and it ended up falling right onto the bed making a wet mess. I stared at the mess I had just caused and guilt washed over me.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I'll clean it up."

I tried to force my tired body out of bed and search for something to clean up the mess that I caused, but was pulled down onto the bed yet again on my back. Laito hung over me with a joyous smile on his face as if he just succeeded in something. He then brought his mouth to mine kissing me. He was kissing me again. I rolled my eyes at his usual move thinking nothing of it, that is until I felt something slip into my mouth and then down my throat. My eyes went wide in shock, knowing what he had just done. I wanted to push him off of me but he had my arms pinned down to my sides. Finally removing his mouth from mine, Laito let out a satisfied sigh. Releasing my arms, Laito sat up a bit away from me.

"See, was that so hard?"

Soon as he pulled away, I turned my head to the side and spat out as much as I could from my mouth, but it was too late. The liquid had already made its way down my throat and into my stomach. A deep frown had appeared on my face and I was seething at his dirty move. He hadn't drank the liquid, he simply put it in his mouth and forced it into mine. I was disgusted and angry. I was mostly angry at myself for reaching for the bottle. Why had I done that? Its not like it would've killed him. I mean he basically said that it wasn't anything that'd harm me, but I couldn't help but prevent him from drinking it. What if it had been something dangerous, he probably would've been...

As I went on rambling in my mind, I began to feel light headed. My eyes grew heavy and my breathing became faint. I felt my body began to heat up and my chest felt heavy. Whatever Laito had just forced down my throat, it took effect rather quickly. I was feeling a bit worse than before and that terrified me. What if he had lied to me and it really was something that was meant to hurt me. Would he really poison me? I felt scared but also hurt. Not from the effects of the strange mixture, but...somewhere else. Feeling scared and not knowing what else to do, I reached for Laito.

"L...L...aito"

Laito grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips kissing my knuckles softly. As his cold lips pressed against my very heated skin, I finally passed out. After I passed out, Laito stared at me for a while longer and then turned his sight on the puddle that laid in his bed. Laito smirked.

"You women are all the same..."


	14. Chapter 14

I had almost forgot where I was when I began to come to. I had just remembered that I was in Laito's room in his bed and that he had given me some strange elixir that caused my body to react in a way that had more than scared me. It was a very alarming situation because for a second there, I had thought that he had poisoned me and that I was dying slowly. I pried my eyes open to take in my surroundings. I was still dressed, thank goodness, and was covered again in a blanket. As I looked around a bit more, I saw that there was a small lamp that was dimly lit over in the corner of the room. It strangely enough made the room appear a bit cozy and I felt myself calm down a bit. That calmness was only temporary though, because once I looked over to see Laito laying right next to me staring me in the face, I was only reminded of my current situation.

A part of me wanted to be creeped out at the fact that he may have been watching me the whole time I had been unconscious, but I kinda didn't know what to feel anymore. Laito is just someone I can't figure out. I mean one minute he's getting off on hurting me or humiliating me, then the next he's helping me. Well, his definition of help has been questionable so far, but regardless, I've been appreciative in a sense. I just wish I can tell what he was thinking. Now that I think about it, would I really want to be inside the head of this guy. Absolutely not.

As I lay there rivaling Laito's gaze, I reached up and laid my head on my forehead sighing.

"I've been passing out so much lately, that I'm almost getting use to it."

Laito chuckled.

"Well I of course, don't mind it. That only means that I get to spend more time with you."

Shaking my head at Laito's comment, I went to try and sit up but noticed that Laito's arm was wrapped around me. Sighing at his too close for comfort contact, I looked down at his arm and then back at him basically hinting at him to move, but he was clearly not too keen on the idea.

"Laito I need to get up. I've been in bed for...wait what time is it?"

I looked around frantically trying to find a clock. Just how long had I been out? I don't see any light coming from the windows, so it must be night. I've been in his room out cold for some hours and realizing that did not sit well with me at all.

Enjoying my little freak out, Laito squeezed his arm around me pulling me closer to him. We were now chest to chest and were pretty much close enough to not have any space between us.

"Instead of being so eager to leave, why not stay and give me what's due."

Not knowing what he was referring to, I wriggled in his grip trying to free myself but obviously it was futile.

"Laito I have no idea what you're talking about, come on let go..."

Clicking his tongue, Laito sat up positioning us to where he was suspended over me and I lay underneath him. He then looked down at me with those brilliant eyes of his, which had a hint of annoyance in them.

"Being clueless can be a very cute trait for a cutie like you but sometimes, it can be very irksome."

Staring up at Laito, I saw that he really was irritated with me for not recalling whatever he was talking about. I hate that I didn't remember and I want to ask him upfront what it was that he was talking about, but I know that he's gonna dance around it more just so I can figure it out on my own. I laid there really trying to figure out what he was trying to tell me. He said that I owe him, owe him what? What could he possibly want from me that I would have...

Then it came to me. My goodness, I felt like an idiot. He's a vampire. What else could he possibly want from me other than blood. Figuring out what he wanted, I let out a nervous sigh.

"You...you want my blood."

A smile slowly stretched out on his face, clearly satisfied with the fact that I had finally figured it out.

"Correct you are darling.~"

Of course I was right, but what did he mean by me owing him? I owed him my blood? Did we make a...bet! That's right, we made a bet. It was when we were in the music room at school and I practically begged Laito to go easy on my blood but he'd only do it if I did something for him in return. Which was accompany him for his family dinner, which had been tonight. The fact that something that alarming had slipped my mind, only showed how overwhelmed I was with all that has been transpiring between myself and this insane family.

Laito brought his face closer to mine and studied the many expressions that just flashed across my face.

"Did you just remember our deal?"

I nodded my head dreading what was about to happen. I thought that he was just gonna bite me and get it over with, but this is Laito we're talking about. He has made it very clear, that he likes to play with his food. He's not gonna make this easy for me nor is he gonna want it to be over so soon.

Laito had begun to lean down towards my neck and I closed my eyes anticipating the bite but it never came, instead, all I heard was a small giggle. I peeked open my eyes and saw that he was smiling at me.

"You know what, I think a punishment is called for."

My forehead wrinkled at his sudden statement. "Punish...ment? W-what? Why?"

Lifting his eyebrow and cocking his head to the side, Laito looked down at me.

"Well you forgot about our little arrangement, and that doesn't make me very happy. What also doesn't make me happy..."

Laito brought his hand towards my neck, and with his fingers, he found the bite marks that Reji had left.

"Is that almost everyone else has been indulging in what was supposedly promised to me."

"But you said that you weren't upset, I thought...-"

My words were cut short when I felt Laito's fingers press onto my still tender bite marks. A half scream half yelp escaped my mouth and I tried to wrench away from him but me trying to yank myself out of his hold, only caused him to press harder into the wounds making me sit still where I was.

"Now now, there will be none of that. As much as I love that cheeky tongue of yours, I think right now I'd rather not hear any flippant remarks leave those precious lips of yours. Am I clear?"

At first I just sat there staring at him with frightened eyes not sure if I wanted to answer him. More like I was too afraid to respond to him. When I sat there a bit too long for his liking not saying anything, Laito sighed and then applied pressure again to my very sore wounds that now burned and ached with excruciating pain. It was becoming so unbearable for me to the point where I wasn't even able to barely let out any indication that I was in pain. Not a squeal nor a shriek. I just flinched and pressed myself further into the bed forcing myself to deal with the pain until he stopped again. I felt my eyes began to water, but I refused to let the tears fall. He already knows that I'm in pain but if he sees my tears, he'll know for sure that he's won. I don't want to give him the satisfaction.

Laito sighed, clearly getting impatient with my lack of an answer. He lifted his fingers away and leaned in closer to me. His mouth finding it way to my ear.

"I said, Am. I. Clear?"

Not wanting to hesitate this time, I slowly nodded. But then I realized that a nod probably wasn't appropriate, so I quickly substituted the nod for a verbal response.

"Yes."

Laito beamed at my response. "Wonderful! Now let's see what I can do to make this last longer..."

Laito sat up from on top of me and looked behind him. His eyes landed on his dresser and he pretty much pranced up out of the bed. I watched his back the whole time as he made his way to the dresser. I wanted to get up and make my escape but I could barely move. I felt a bit better than I did a few hours ago but not enough to try to make a speedy exit. Besides, Laito would stop me before I even had a chance to touch the door knob. Despite the highly possible consequences that would surely take place if I even tried to run, I couldn't help but have that idea run through my head. I was unsure of what he was planning, therefore my worried eyes never left his figure.

I saw that he finally made it to the dresser then he pulled open a drawer and pulled out a couple of things. At first I couldn't tell what he had in his hands but then he turned around and held up two items in his hands. A cunning smile appeared on his face as he tossed the items in his hands playfully.

"Forget that I had this?"

I stared at him with a frowned not sure what he meant at first. Then I took a closer look and saw that in one hand there seemed to be a cloth of some sort and in the other hand was something I couldn't quite make out all the way. After focusing my gaze as best as I could in the dim lit room, I finally was able to make out what I was looking at and it was my phone. For a second, I couldn't have cared less that he had it but then I noticed that my phone was blinking a bit. Meaning that I had either a missed call or a text message. The only people that would contact me, are Yui and my Dad and since Yui had no reason to message me or call me, it only narrowed down to one person. Dad.

Without hesitation, I hopped up out of the bed barely able to keep myself balanced and pretty much lunged at him for my phone. As soon as I went to grab it, he lifted it up out of my reach. Unfortunately when he did that, I ended up losing my balance a bit and tumbled right into his chest. He clearly saw this as an opportunity and his arm quickly wrapped around my body holding me up against him.

"Oh I just knew you'd run into my arms eventually."

Being this close to him after what he's done to me within the past hours, made me feel sick. Just touching him made me want to dunk myself a tub filled with holy water. I lifted my head to find him staring down at me with a look of triumph plastered on his face. Oh how I wanted to slap that look off his face, if only I had the strength to do so.

"Laito..."

Laito smiled down at me innocently. "Yes darling~?"

"Will you...please return my phone? There's no telling how many times my Dad has called and I'm sure he's worried sick about me and...-"

Laito looked down at me and placed his finger on my lips putting a halt to my blabbering excuses.With his finger pressed onto my mouth, I could feel something soft and silky graze across my cheek. It was the cloth he had grabbed from his drawer. I looked at it and wondered what he was going to do with it. Knowing him though, whatever he was planning, it obviously wasn't gonna be good from my end.

"Now now my precious Bitch chan~, I will but you have to earn it."

I turned my head away forcing his finger away from my lips and gave him an irritated glare.

"Earn it? But I..."

One irritated yet intimidating look from Laito immediately hushed me. I knew that the only answer that he wanted to hear, was an answer that would give him full reign of whatever he wanted to do to me. My fate would be sealed.

Clearly defeated and without any other options, I sighed.

"What would I have to do?"

Laito's mouth upturned into a victorious smirk.

"Go and lay on the bed."

I was very hesitant at first. I slowly separated myself from Laito and with shaky legs, I walked over to the bed. I could feel his eyes burning into my back the whole way. It felt as if I was walking to my death. I sluggishly crawled onto the bed and made my way towards the middle of it. I wasn't sure if he wanted me on my back or not but that was the position I went with. Laying on my back with my arms at my sides, I laid there still, waiting for a response from Laito.

Using his index fingers and thumb to make a frame, Laito studied me.

"What a lovely vision you are. So obedient and yet so rebellious."

Once he was done taking his fill of me, Laito slowly stalked over towards the bed, with his eyes never leaving me. For every second his eyes were on me, I felt my body shiver and bury itself deeper into the bed. So many thoughts began running through my head on what he was scheming to do to me. I knew that one of his plans was to definitely drink my blood but what was he going to do before he did that. That was my biggest worry.

Laito arrives at the bedside and looks down at me while sighing at me lovingly.

"That look of fear really gets me going you know~."

Tossing my phone off to the side somewhere, Laito crawled onto the bed and lingered over me while looking me up and down. "So defenseless and scared, like a small animal backed into a corner."

He then sat up and reached for my arms forcing them up over my head. I knew right away that he was going to tie me up with that piece of cloth that he had grabbed. I could the smoothness of the material glide across my skin as he, not so gently, tied it around my wrists binding them tightly together. I winced as he made sure that I was firmly secured the way he wanted. Once he was done tying me up, he sat up straight and looked down at my pained face.

"Sorry, but I can't have you trying anything. Although..."

Laito's eyes ran over my legs and then stopped at my ankles.

"Perhaps I should tie you here as well. I should have a spare scarf around here somewhere..."

My eyes went wide and I panicked while twisting in my binds.

"No no that's not necessary! I...I won't try anything..."

Laito gave me a side glare.

"Hmmm, not sure if I can trust that bitch chan~."

My heart started racing, afraid that he was gonna attach some other kind of thing to me to ensure that I don't escape. I really wasn't gonna try anything besides, what good would it do anyways. He would only get a hold of me yet again and once he did, the consequences would be worse than what they were originally gonna be. I didn't want to risk that. I just wanted it to be done and over with.

I desperately tried to convince him that I didn't need any extra bindings. I looked up at him, my begging eyes meeting his uncertain ones.

"Laito san, I won't try anything. I...I know better now. I-I'll be good..."

As much as it pained me to grovel like this, I was at a point where almost anything was necessary if it were to convince him otherwise. Seeing how uncomfortable I was at having to beg like that, Laito began laughing at my feeble attempts to stir his mind elsewhere.

"Hahaha! oh bitch chan...that was golden. Watching you beg like that, I just couldn't hold it...hahaha."

I could feel my face burn, absolutely ashamed at myself for not only begging but being laughed at soon after I begged. I was angry at Laito but myself especially. I shouldn't have stooped so low as to beg him for some form of mercy. Watching Laito finally clam down from his laughing fit, I was seething at him. Without thinking, I brought my legs up and went to try and kick him but of course that was utterly futile. Laito grabbed my leg and held onto it tight, squeezing it in his icy grip. "You'll be good? You won't try anything? Such a beautiful liar you are bitch chan~."

His cold hold on my leg was giving me goosebumps and also causing me a throbbing like pain. He could easily break my leg but he was clearly holding onto to me tight enough to hurt me and cause me fear to rise within me. Laito stared at me very much amused that I so quickly proved to him that I was going to need extra restraints. I cursed myself mentally, hating that I let my anger get the better of me. Nevertheless, I still attempted to try and convince him to not use any other methods of restraints on me.

"I...really won't try anything. Why would I? You have me, what more could I do? Besides, if I keep fighting you, you'll only keep coming after me until you get what you want. So just...do whatever you were planning on doing so I can just get on with my life."

Laito tilted his head. "You trying to kick me only seconds ago doesn't really help convince me you know~?"

I couldn't help but worriedly sigh at his very valid point, but I kept trying.

"I-I know and I'm s-sorry..."

I didn't even realize that I had been shaking a bit. I was very scared and it definitely showed. I was tripping over my words and my heart felt as if it was about to leap right out of my chest. I followed Laito's eyes and saw that they were focused on the rise and fall of my heaving chest. As he was ogling my assets, I came up with a bold yet stupid offer that I knew he wasn't going to refuse. Taking a deep breath, I spoke.

"You can bite me wherever you want, if you don't tie my ankles."

Laito's eyebrows rose and his face lit up sadistically as he took in what I had just said. At first, I thought he seemed like an excited child going into their favorite candy store but then I noticed that his excitement didn't reach his eyes. He then let out a light giggle.

"You're playing with fire darling, but don't worry, I don't mind if you get burned a bit~."

Removing his hat, Laito slithered his way towards me and suspended himself above my body. I stared up at him with panic in my eyes. He looked down at me with glittering green eyes but didn't say anything. He only ran his fingers along my shirt and then gave a hard tug ripping my shirt right down the middle. I let out a surprised yelp at his sudden action and turned my head away not wanting to look at him. The cool air immediately caused goosebumps to appear across my chest and I couldn't help but tremble. My complexion was a dark crimson as my chest was open for his viewing pleasure. I then heard Laito let out a small snicker and then he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"No purple this time? You're so dull today~."

The nerve of him. Who is he to make any kind of comments on my under clothes. It was already humiliating enough to be in this situation, now he goes and pretty much insults my attire. What I was wearing was a pretty simple white lace bra that looked pretty plain, but it was comfortable. Too shy to even be facing him, I mumbled.

"What's it you? Its what I prefer. I don't go around wearing certain clothes to please you."

I then felt Laito's fingers grip my chin and turn my head back to face him.

"What did I say about that mouth of yours? Are you forgetting already?"

Laito brought his face closer to mine getting ready to kiss me but I turned my head before he could and his lips ended up landing on my cheek. Letting out an aggravated sigh, Laito took a tighter hold on my chin and yanked my head back to facing him. He stared deep into my petrified eyes and I stared back into his excited ones. His eyes were shining excitedly and with so much anticipation behind them.

"Such rebellious eyes you have. They excite me so much. Bitch chan, you're tempting me every second~."

Then with that, Laito brought his head down and began suckling at the tops of my breasts. He would kiss me along my chest softly but then not so gently pucker his lips around my skin and suck really hard. It didn't hurt perse, but everytime he did it, I couldn't help but get the feeling it would surely leave a mark. Each time he nibbled here and there, my face would twist in discomfort and I'd let out an uncomfortable moan. After a while, I began to shuffle underneath him.

"L-laito..."

Stopping what he was doing, Laito sat up and looked at me. He smirked.

"So sensitive. I wonder what'll happen if I do this~..."

My eyes went wide in horror when I felt his fingers pinch my bra cover nipple. My yelp of surprise triggered a deep chuckle from him. My face was red with embarrassment at how I just responded. I didn't like what he was doing to me, I was just caught off guard. I didn't know he was going to touch me there. I didn't like it. I didn't like it. I...didn't...

I couldn't help but constantly deny what my body had felt. It was disgusting. This isn't me. I don't care if its natural. I don't want to feel these things with the likes of him. Not him.

"So naughty you are bitch chan~, I want to see more of those lewd expressions."

As soon as I felt his mouth cover where his fingers once were, I felt my eyes tear up. This is wrong. My eyes shut, I shook my head while sniffling.

"No...this is..."

Lifting his head from my chest, Laito finished my sentence.

"Wrong? Nothing is wrong with feeling pleasure. Its natural. Just how long are you going to deny yourself this~?"

Laito continued to suck at my cloth covered nub as I shook under him and pulled at my restraints hoping that I'll loosen them so that I could get away. Unfortunately for me, he tied my wrists together pretty tightly. For a second there, I was worried that my circulation was cut off because my hands began to feel a little numb. Even if that was the case, that was the least of my worries. I'm laying here under Laito and he's pretty much about to have his way with me. His lips soon left my hardened nipple and he then moved up to my neck. He then began nipping at my skin with his fangs grazing me along the way. He then stopped and whispered against my warm skin.

"Your face twisted up like that, is tempting me into trying something more daring..."

I soon felt him began to move down my body gliding his fangs along the way. When I felt his soft yet cool lips at my exposed stomach, my eyes popped open curious but worried at his intention. I looked down at him as he looked up at me from his end and frowned.

"W-wait a minute...just what do you think you're..."

With a cunning smile, Laito popped the button on my bottoms, then pulled my zipper. Seeing that he was planning on taking my shorts off, I started to panic and tried to prevent him from tugging them down.

"Laito that's too much, you can't..."

Completely ignoring my plea, Laito held down my flailing legs while staring up at me with a giddy grin.

"If I can recall, you gave me free reign to bite you wherever I so choose. Are you going back on your word darling~?"

I could pretty much feel my face drain of color. Where on earth does he plan on biting me where it required him to remove my shorts? My imagination began to run its course and I felt myself go from being worried, to scared.

"B-b-but down there!? N-no...I mean, I thought you were going to bite me...you know...somewhere else.."

Patting the area between my legs, Laito pouted. "Why so shy all of a sudden? I've seen down here before~."

My face went multiple shades of red when I felt him casually touch me there. "D-dont do that Laito! Its...its embarrassing..."

Placing his fingers on the belt loops of my shorts, Laito slowly began to pull my shorts down. "Hmmm~, if you think that that was embarrassing, then I'm just dying to see your reaction to what I'm about to have you experience~."

My face frowned, fearing whatever he's got planned in that sick head of his. With my shorts pulled down to the middle of my thighs, Laito took this opportunity to openly examine my underwear. I wasn't wearing anything too racy, just a pair of simple white cotton underwear. I hadn't even realized that my bra and underwear were matching, minus the material that they were made out of.

"Very boring yet very innocent and pure. I prefer you in more risqué undergarments, but this'll do~."

I blushed at him openly critiquing my underwear. There's nothing else more I can feel beyond embarrassment and humiliation. I simply sat there gritting my teeth with my face burning. As I sat there as red and warm as a red hot pepper, Laito took this opportunity to slide my shorts off completely and then toss them on the floor. Framing his fingers as if he was taking a picture, Laito studied me from head to toe.

"I must say, out of all the women I've been with, you are definitely the first to have quite the appeal~."

I rolled my eyes and let out a repulsed grunt.

"Gee, thanks for the compliment..."

Laito put his hands down and smiled down at me.

"You're welcome. Now where do I start? Oh how about here..."

I felt Laito's cold hands reach behind the the backs of my knees and pulled up. His move caught me off guard and I gasped at the surprise action. He then parted my legs giving him a full view of between my legs. Even though I was wearing underwear, I couldn't help but feel more exposed than I already was. I mean for him to staring at me there was just too much. My eyes were welling up with tears at how shameful I appeared. For him to be staring at me like this.

"S-stop staring! Please don't look there...don't look..."

As much as I didn't want to cry, as much as I didn't want those tears that sat waiting at the edge of my lids to fall, they finally fell. This was too much. To think that he has done worse to me, this was just degrading for me.

"Awww so cute~, don't be shy. I promise you'll enjoy it~."

Laito cooed at me as if he was trying to comfort me. Of course there was no good intention behind it. He was clearly just messing with me, trying to upset me more, which was actually working. A few small tears slid down the sides of my head and into my hair. What was there to think or say anymore? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just wanted him to get it over with instead of messing with me like this. Why must I be the target of his advances and teasing remarks. I'm sure he has others to divert his attention toward, so why me. I'm nothing special, nothing interesting, so why constantly harass me and bother me so much. As all these things run through my head, I looked down to see Laito kissing me in my inner thigh. After each small peck, he would then graze his fangs along my skin leaving a very thin red line in his fang's path and then slowly licking at the minor wound. Each time he did that, I jumped at how much it stung. It didn't hurt right away but every time he licked or sucked at it the small cut, the pain would kick in. Every time I heard the suction of his mouth against my skin, my heart leapt a bit in my chest. The sound was almost unbearable and I couldn't help but squirm each time he did that.

"Ahhh~, even just a small drop is sending me in a frenzy. So sweet~."

With that, Laito continued to scrap and lap at my small droplets of blood. Each cut he caused, put me on edge. I wondered when he was going to bite me, but it never came. I just wanted him to do it and get it over with, but I knew that that was only wishful thinking on my part. He would never allow me the luxury to make this whole thing quick and easy. He wanted to play, tease and taste before enjoying his full. I looked down, only seeing through my blurry tear filled eyes his bright fiery reddish hair laying between my legs. He must've felt my eyes on him because he stopped what he was doing and met my gaze. His peridot eyes were clouded with lust and his cheeks were tinted a light pink. He sighed breathlessly as he stared into my eyes and then went to kiss me dangerously close to my nether regions causing me to shriek.

"L-laito...!"

He giggled knowingly.

"See, I told you that you'd enjoy it~."

I shook my head adamantly denying his assumption.

"I'm not enjoying it!"

Obviously not convinced, Laito smirked at me and kissed me again around the same spot but only this time, it was very closely near my sensitive center. I couldn't help but get startled yet again at his bold action. I could tell that he was mistaking my surprise for me getting some kind of thrill out of it. I tried not to budge every time he did something so brash, because whenever I did, he would get bolder and bolder in his action anxious to get more of a rise out of me. He eventually got the reaction he was longing for when I felt his fingers slowly run across my mound. That definitely caused my hips to jolt up from the bed.

"D-d-dont do that!"

Cocking his eyebrow clearly very amused at my reaction, Laito did it again only this time, his finger rested right on my panty covered nub.

"Don't do what Bitch chan?"

A small reluctant moan escaped my lips as I felt his finger press down on my now throbbing nub. My whole body was shaking in anticipation of its own volition. I shut my eyes tightly trying to stop myself from feeling these things but it wasn't working.I couldn't help it and it was almost becoming impossible to hold back the sounds that was coming from my mouth. Laito, wanting to hear me some more, took this chance to slowly rub my heated bud with his finger in a circular motion. My heart felt as if it stopped at such a shameless thing. Despite my mind screaming for me not to enjoy it, my body was screaming an entirely different response. My hips were slowly moving in rhythm with his finger and small pants were running past my lips.

"So responsive to something as small as this, now I'm curious to see what your response would be if I were to take you right now..."

Opening my eyes, my movements halted at his declaration and I then realized how indecent and wanting I appeared at the moment. Smiling at my alarmed state, Laito spoke in a reassuring tone all the while not stopping his dancing finger on my aching nub.

"As wonderful as it would be to have you withering under me begging for me not to stop, I'm afraid that's going to have to wait until some other time. But right now..."

Laito brought his face closer to my inner thigh, and in a low heated tone he whispered.

"I think I'll be satisfied with playing with you for a while~."

Right at the end of his words, his fangs sunk deep into my warm skin. I barely felt the sharp sting of pain that usually came with the bite but not this time. Instead, the pleasure that I was feeling, seemed to almost completely overshadow the bite. The suction was loud and Laito's moans of satisfaction were very audible. I twisted and turned trying my hardest not to fall into his trap of pleasure but I was failing horribly and he knew. As he took in his fill from a vein in my thigh, his finger movements sped up causing me to moan a little louder and writhe around more. Even though it wasn't skin on skin contact with his finger and my core, still feeling it through my underwear was causing a reaction. A reaction that I couldn't hide anymore. I had never felt anything like this before, so I was legitimately scared of what the end result would be. Laito's lips on my skin sucking so roughly along with his finger rubbing me in ways I never thought, was causing me to lose my mind. My hips squirming under his touch and the many soft moans coming from me, was a sign that something was happening. My core was throbbing more than it was before and it felt as if something was about to explode. Through my gasps, I called out to him.

"Laito...something's..."

At the sound of his name, Laito looked up at me. His lips were stained crimson and his eyes were glossy. His painted red lips upturned in a smile and he only continued his pace with his finger. My whole body started to quiver and my legs began to shake.

"Don't repress it, just release what's natural Hiyori~."

He said my name again. I don't know why, but whenever he said my name, I couldn't control the small jump in my chest that occured everytime he said it. I wasn't sure if he noticed my small reaction to him uttering my name, but he smirked at me and then went back to drinking from my thigh. I thought he was going to go back to the spot he was already at but he bit me in a new spot. When his fangs pierced my flesh again, that's when the lower part of my body just seemed to convulsed and it felt as if something so very pleasant coursed throughout my whole nether regions. Whatever that was, I knew that I wasn't able to hold my voice back anymore.

"L-laito san, I...Mmm..!"

My hips raised high up off the bed while Laito still had his head buried in my inner thigh drinking my blood as if he hadn't any for a long while. Slowly, my hips made their way back down on the bed. My breathing was short and my body felt as if it was on fire. The aftershocks of what just happened, felt as if it was too much for my body to handle. As I was calming down from my internal high, Laito was finishing up from drinking my blood. He slowly lapped at both bite wounds he inflicted on me and sat up all the while with his eyes on me. Staring down at me, Laito leaned in towards my flustered face and placed his forehead onto mine. For a moment, neither of us said anything and only stared at each other with half hooded eyes, but then Laito's mouth curled up in an arrogant smile.

"Told you that you'd enjoy it~."

I wanted so badly to raise my head up and headbutt him right between the eyes, but I controlled myself. I was weak and tired. What made me worried, was that it wasn't because of the blood loss, but because of what Laito just did. I eventually averted my eyes from him and looked over at a wall. Laito saw that I was clearly trying not to look him in the eye, and he shook his head.

"Why so shy? Ohhh could it be...Was that your first orgasm?"

At his bold claim, I trained my eyes on him and frowned feeling my face burn with embarrassment and anger.

"So what if it was?! You...you...how could you?!"

He tilted his head as a confused expression appeared on his face.

"How could I what? Give you your one and only pleasurable experience? I think you should be thanking me~."

My mouth went wide, pretty much gawking at his absurd statement.

"Thanking you?! T-thank...?! Laito, don't you get it? These kinds of things aren't to be done so shamelessly. I know that its a reaction that my body couldn't control but...but to do that with someone that's not your loved one, its not right."

I wasn't sure if I should cry or be disgusted at myself. I can't lie. My body enjoyed what Laito had done but my mind was just yelling at me to hold back. I was so upset with him, its like he took something from me.

"Being your blood bank is one thing, but I don't want to be used as some sexual toy for you. I want to experience love and true embrace. Do you truly not understand that?"

Laito stared at me for a moment with a blank expression. I just didn't understand. Why would he think something like this was okay? Surely he's been in love before, if not love, at least have a strong care for someone in his life. At first I thought that Laito was truly considering what I had just said, but he merely let out a huff and half smiled.

"Hiyori, when you say things like that so passionately and with those defiant eyes, it honestly makes me feel as if I hate you."

The change of tone in his voice and the words that followed with it, immediately caused my heart to drop. Not wanting to look at him anymore, I decided to just turn my head, close my eyes and force myself to block him out until I fell asleep. Laito didn't bother to say or do anything further, much to my surprise. I felt him remove himself from over me and lay down right next to me with a huff.

He said he hated me? That's a much different attitude than before. He claimed to love me and now all of a sudden he hates me? That shows that he doesn't truly know what love is or what it would feel like. I know that I shouldn't feel anything for his cold words just now, but why do I feel as if my feelings were kind of hurt. Slowly but surely, I could feel my body getting heavy and my shoulders dropping, I was finally succumbing to sleep. Not wanting fight it any longer with my endless thoughts, I finally felt my body just give up for the night.

 ** _~lllllllllllllllllllll~_**

 _Hm? Where Am I? Its pretty blurry. Why is my vision suddenly so bad? Wait a minute, why am I in front of a piano._

 _I had no clue what was going on but I was all of a sudden in front of a piano playing a very mellow yet sad sounding tune. I couldn't recognize what the melody was but my fingers were dancing along the keys as if I've played the tune before. My fingers? My hands? With these pale and lithe fingers were mine? No..._

 _As I played the piano, there was a loud thud that came from my right. Then soon was followed by someone breathing heavily. As if they had been running from something or someone. For some reason, I didn't look up but felt as if I already knew who was there in the room with me._

 _"H-help me...he's trying to kill me..."_

 _What? It was a woman and I could smell...blood? Even though I could smell the blood coming from her, my fingers never stopped at the piano. Soon enough though, the woman approached me from the side and my fingers stopped pressing keys but stayed hovered over them. The woman to my side was whimpering as if she was in pain and seemed to be expecting me to help her. I had no clue who she was but I wanted to help her, so why wasn't I moving? Why wasn't I even looking at her? The poor woman needed my help and all I was doing was sitting there not seeming to acknowledge her presence._

 _She seemed to have caught on to me ignoring her and the woman then soon reached out and laid her hand on my cheek. I could feel how wet and warm her hand was. It was blood. Her blood. Turning my head towards her, I saw that she was a pale yet beautiful looking woman. She had long purple hair and very familiar looking piercing green eyes._

 _"Laito..."_

My eyes flew open and I sat up fast. Apparently too fast because as soon as I did that, I could feel the blood rushing to my head and I got dizzy immediately. I rested my hand on my forehead to calm myself and get myself together. My chest was still thumping pretty hard at that dream. I closed my eyes and took slow relaxed breaths to calm my heart down. That was indeed an odd dream. Who was that woman? Whoever she was, she seemed to know Laito very well. The way she said his name and the way she looked at me as she said it.

Rustling from the side of me snapped me out of my thoughts and I took in my surroundings. Laito was well asleep and was moving a bit in his slumber. Memories of what happened between Laito and I began to flash through my mind and I could feel my face burn and my stomach tie in knots. I felt my slightly tender wrists and had a feeling that they must've had some form of marks on them from the cloth he tied them together with. I wondered when he took them off, probably when I was asleep. The pain I didn't feel before soon kicked in and there was a horrible ache that throbbed throughout my inner thighs. I reached between my legs and felt the marks and winced at how hot and tender they were. A sudden chill coursed through my body and I had lightly sneezed. I saw that I still had on nothing but my ripped shirt, bra and underwear. The sick creep could've at least covered me with a blanket. Staring at him now looking so vulnerable and off guard, I was tempted to just find the closest sharpest thing and stab him in the chest with it. I stared around the room until my eyes landed on the window and I saw a small stream of light peaking in through the curtains. So it was daytime. I wonder if all the brothers sleep during the day. I know Yui told me that, but she also told me that they are indeed able to go out into the sun without harm. So even during the daytime, I still have a chance of running into one of them. I shivered at the thought of one of them causing me more problems that I clearly wouldn't be able to handle at the moment.

A soft whimper caught my attention and I turned to see that it came from Laito. His face was also twisted as if he was in pain. Probably a nightmare? Do vampires even have nightmares? I mean they themselves are walking night terrors, so it's a bit odd to think that even they have uncomfortable dreams too. A part of me wanted to revel in the fact that he was having an unpleasant dream and that he deserved whatever form of pain he was receiving. A small layer of sweat started to form on his forehead and I saw that he was gritting his teeth. He really looked to be in pain. Before I knew it, I reached my hand out to wipe at the sweat that was on his forehead. As soon as my hand touched his head, my breath caught in my throat as many different images started to run through my mind.

The visions that flashed through my mind consisted of Laito and quite a lot of many different women but the woman that I would see most of all, is the purple haired woman that I saw in my dream. I soon came across an image of what appeared to be a cell and I could see the woman stand on the other side of it as I stayed still behind the bars. She was then accompanied by an older handsome looking gentleman. The vision soon got blurry and then eventually faded away. I wondered if she was an old acquaintance of Laito's or something more. I soon had my answer when an image of them in bed together embracing one another, flashed through my head. Once that final picture came into view, I knew that I had seen more than enough and I instinctively pulled my hand away. Once I pulled my hand away, I stared at the palm of my hand in shock at what just happened. I sat still trying to figure out what happened and how on earth was I able to do that.

Not wanting to stay in bed, I went to get up only to be stopped by an aggressive hand that wrapped itself around my arm. At first I thought that Laito was awake but from how his face was still wincing as if he was hurting, I could see that he was still dreaming pretty hard. I thought about forcing my arm out of his grasp but for some reason, seeing his face like this, made me not want to move at all yet. I was contemplating whether or not I should stay, but I then eventually settled for staying for a while longer. I pulled the covers over me and laid back down facing him. I went to reach out again but then stopped not wanting to have to see those random visions again. So instead, using my thumb and index finger, I picked up strands of his hair which was stuck to his wet forehead, and moved it out of his way. As I stared at him, I realized that there was also another part of me that couldn't stand to see him in such pain.


	15. Chapter 15

A somewhat loud humming sound entered my ears causing me to stir in my sleep. I ignored it at first, but then the sound started up again. Only this time, there was a small chime that followed after the humming. With my head trying to fully focus, I slowly came to realize that it wasn't humming, but it was a vibrating sound. I forced my eyes open to see my phone right beside my head blinking and vibrating. Finally getting a full focus of my surroundings, I jerked up ignoring my tired body's protests, and grabbed my phone flipping it open. Bringing it to my ear, I groggily answered.

"Hello?"

A relieved sigh came through the other end of the phone.

"Hiyori? My goodness, I've been trying to call you since last night. Are you alright?"

Hearing my Dad on the other end of my phone brought relief throughout my whole body. It felt so great hearing his voice even though I just last saw him yesterday evening. I laid my hand on my head and sighed finally responding.

"Yeah Dad, I'm alright. Sorry I didn't call you to let you know that I was okay."

Dad chuckled.

"Well I'm assuming that you and Yui must've had a lot of fun. You sound exhausted, what on earth did you two do when you got there?"

All that has happened to me since I stepped pass the threshold of this place, started flashing through my head. I was tempted to practically beg my Dad to come and pick me up but I held it in and told him only the partial truth.

"Oh, well...lots of stuff. We...Um...cooked and talked about stuff."

"That's all? Are you keeping secrets from me?" Dad said jokingly.

I let out a tired chuckle.

"No Dad. Just typical girl stuff. Nothing you'd be interested in."

I could pretty much hear Dad smiling on the other end.

"You may be right about that, but remember I had you and your mother. So I think I can tolerate some 'girl stuff'."

I smiled thinking back to all those times that Dad would begrudgingly join Mom and Me on our girl's day out. Shopping, flower shops and dressing up dolls.

"That's true. Even though you dreaded it, you still participated in our girly antics."

Dad sighed as a soft laugh came soon after.

"I don't regret a single moment."

We both grew silent for a while until I broke the silence.

"Well...I have to get up and moving about now. I want to freshen up while its still early."

"Oh Hiyori I almost forgot, I'm going to be leaving out of town for work. The man I'm working for needs me to assist him and I'll be gone for a couple days."

"Oh I know." Soon as those words left my lips, I regretted it. Dad doesn't know that I know he's leaving town because he didn't tell me of course. I slapped my hand over my mouth.

I could tell that Dad was wondering how I knew by his muteness.

"You...do?"

Letting out an awkward giggle, I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I mean...that I know you're working for someone. That's what I meant. Not that I knew you were leaving town."

"Yeah I have to leave town. I meant to tell you last night but it slipped my mind when you came home with Yui and I got side tracked. Sorry for not telling you sooner."

I couldn't help but feel responsible for Dad not being able to tell me because I suddenly sprung the whole sleepover thing with Yui at him. I'm sure he was gonna tell me but I sidetracked him.

"Its alright Dad. Are you leaving today?"

"Yes, I'm leaving this evening. I'll leave you some money of course and occasionally call you when I can. Will you be home before I leave?"

"Yeah for sure. Okay Dad, I'll see you later then. Love you."

"Love you too sweetheart. Have fun."

The line ended and I snapped my phone shut. I placed my phone down on the bed and let out a long dragging sigh. I suddenly remembered my situation and I quickly looked around the room I was in. It looked different. Was I not in Laito's room anymore? I was a bit nervous to check and see if Laito was in bed with me but even without looking, I couldn't feel any presence in the bed with me. Mustering up the courage to look, I turned my head to only be met with an empty spot in bed. A surge of relief coursed through my body and I flopped down on the bed face first. Thank goodness he was gone. I lifted my face and noticed that the smell of the bed was different. It was strange to say this, but it didn't smell like Laito. Laito's room had a light mint like musk and an odd scent of something warm.

I lifted myself up completely into a sitting position and looked around the room. This was my room. How'd I get back in here? Did Laito bring me here? If he did, I'm very shocked because he'd probably prefer me in bed with him throughout the whole day. However I got here, I'm thankful because I don't think I would be able to stomach another second with that pervert.

The sound of birds chirping was very soothing to my ears and I sat still basking in the simple sounds that entered my ears. I needed to take in some kind of tranquility to be able to deal with what happened last night. I felt like I needed to tell someone what happened to me yet at the same time I felt that it'd be better to keep it to myself for now. Maybe option two is better.

I stretch my arms up high above my head as an inhuman groan left my mouth. Once that was out of my system, I carefully got out of bed and went to my belongings which were put in a corner. I unzipped my bag and reached in to pull out some clothes for the day. Grabbing some underwear and a bra, I ended up settling for a light blue long sleeve shirt and a pair of white snug pants. Simple and comfortable. That's what I need today. Grabbing everything else I needed, I headed straight to the bathroom.

 ** _~~~lllllllllllllllllll~~~_**

Putting my clothes on the bathroom sink, I looked to see if there was any soap for me to use. I saw that it was a bottle of scented shower gel and decided to use that. I went to turn on the water to fill up the tub and dropped a bit of the soap in the water. As soon as the tub was filled with hot water and bubbles, I stripped off my clothes and slowly eased myself into the water. It took me a second to get use to the high temp but I soon adjusted. I thought about lounging in the tub before washing but then remembered where I was and decided against it. I'm just asking for it if I even dare make myself so vulnerable like that. Even now I was risking it being naked in their home bathing like this. I needed to wash quickly so I can get dressed. I don't need to deal with any peeping toms right now or ever.

I scrubbed every part of my body roughly with the scented soap that was perched on the bathroom sink. As I scrubbed, I couldn't help but think about all the places Laito touched me. Just thinking about it urged me to scrub harder and faster wanting his scent and touch erased from my skin just as much from my memory. As I began rinsing off the bubbles, I noticed that the bites that was left by Laito were now completely gone. Like not a trace of a mark was left. I mean I do heal quickly but never this fast before. There wasn't even a bruise left behind or anything. I hurried and rinsed off the rest of the suds and got up out of the tub. I was curious to see if the bite marks that Reji left on me were gone as well.

Grabbing a towel, I wrapped it around my body and headed towards the fogged up mirror. I wiped my hand across the mirror trying to get a good look at myself. I turned my head looking for the bites, but there was nothing. Those were gone as well. I wasn't sure if I should be concerned or not but this was definitely something new. The bites usually healed in couple of days but these healed overnight. I frowned while my fingered rested on my neck where the bite marks were supposed to be. Not sure what to do, I only thought of one thing.

"Maybe...I should tell Dad."

Dad was the one who wanted me to think nothing of my oddly accelerated healing, but occasionally, I couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with me. I wonder if he'd want me to brush this off as well. Or maybe I shouldn't tell him, at least not right away. I mean he's leaving town for work today, and I wouldn't want him to have my dilemma clouding his mind while he's supposed to be focusing on work. Yeah that's what I'll do. I'll wait until he comes back and then I'll tell him.

Using my towel to dry myself off, I grabbed my clothes from the sink and began to get dressed. Once I got dressed, I picked up my worn clothes and left the bathroom. Feeling refreshed and clean, I closed my eyes then let out a relaxed sigh. I swear my life has taken quite the turn ever since I met Yui and the Sakamaki family. I want to try and forget all that happened between Laito and I last night but the more I tried to erase those memories, the more they continued to flash in my mind. I've already been mentally scarred and I doubt those scars are gonna heal anytime soon. My stomach turned at how my body responded to his vile repulsive touches. I laid my hand on my middle trying to ease down the bile that threatened to come up my throat. Once my stomach calmed down, I walked over towards my stuff and stuffed my worn clothes down in the bag. I then walked over to the door and placed my ear up against it. I tried to see if I could hear anyone talking or moving about.

Not hearing anything, I cautiously put my hand on the door handle and opened the door a little bit. Peeking my head out, I looked left and right hoping not to see any of the brothers, especially Laito. Not seeing or hearing anyone, I stepped out the room and walked down the empty hallway.

I ended up walking for a good minute checking out bits and pieces of the house. The place was unnecessarily spacious and had stuff in it that you wouldn't expect a home to have. Well this was more than a home, it was a mansion. Heck, I bet that chandelier that was hung high above the entrance cost more than my house and Dad's car combined. Maybe even more than someone's life. The whole setting and atmosphere of this place actually was very fitting for a family of vampires. It was Dark and ghost like yet at the same time it was very Victorian and lovely. I actually wouldn't be surprised if their home was haunted.

I eventually made my way to the gaming room which was on the first floor. I cracked opened the door before entering the room. I was a bit nervous to go in considering what happened with Subaru and all. How he greeted me was far from nice and I wanted to try and avoid that at all cost.

Seeing that no one was present in the room, I walked further inside and looked around at the games they had. It wasn't a lot, but it looked to be enough for some kind of entertainment. The pool table was fairly large and looked expensive but well used. I recognized the dart board that Subaru was playing with yesterday. My eyes glossed over the rest of the room and I saw over near a corner, sat a hockey table. Its almost unbelievable that they'd have games that required them to play together. The brothers didn't seem close enough for me to picture them actually getting together for a game of darts or pool. Ayato maybe I can picture playing with Laito, but everyone else, not really. I mean sure I saw Subaru playing darts but it was by himself and I think its safe to assume he'd prefer it that way.

I curiously walked over to the dart board and plucked out the darts. Once all the darts were in my hand, I distanced myself decently away from the board, and steadied myself. With one dart in my hand and the lot of the other ones in my other hand, I put myself in a stance to get ready to throw the dart. I've never played darts before but I do know how the game goes. Pretty simple really. Throw the darts at a certain part on the target and rank up points. I leaned back and then forward, tossing the dart. It hit the board with a thump. My eyes went wide and my mouth stretched in a smile.

"B-bullseye?!"

I gave myself a small clap clearly happy with my first bullseye on my first try at this game. I went to throw another dart at the target when the sound of a voice threw off my concentration and the dart I threw went into the wall off on the side of the board. I already knew who it was by the soft and polite tone.

"Sorry Hiyori. Didn't mean to disturb you."

I turned around and greeted Yui with a smile.

"No its alright, I was just exploring a bit is all."

"I heard you clapping. I'm guessing that's the reason."

Yui pointed at the bullseye I made.

Rubbing the back of my head bashfully, I chuckled.

"Yeah...I uh, got it first try. I was pretty impressed with myself considering that I've never played darts before."

Yui scratched her chin with a lopsided smile.

"I've played many times but I'm terrible. Ayato says that I'm just naturally clumsy, which is why I'm awful. Even knowing that I'm not great at it, he still insists on making me his opponent."

I rolled my eyes.

"I bet that's the only reason why he challenges you. So that he can have an easy win."

Yui nodded with a smile.

"You're not wrong."

"So Yui, how are you this morning? Have you been looking for me long?"

Yui shook her head. "No not long and I'm fine."

Yui's face then showed obvious worry and concern. "I should be asking you that Hiyori. I can't help but notice small dark spots under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?"

I was caught off guard by Yui's concerned question and froze for a short second. I didn't sleep as comfortably as I wanted to due to Laito. My face grew grim remembering the things that happened between us last night. Yui saw the change in my expression and came closer to me grabbing my hand.

"Let's go outside for some air. I want you to see the garden."

I gripped my hand around Yui's and followed her as she led me out the room. She took me towards the kitchen area and we both headed out a door that was near the pantry. We were greeted with a bright sun and bright blue sky. After my eyes adjusted to the sun's rays, I then took in the amazing garden that was in front of us. The whole yard was decorated with Roses, Lotus, Jasmines and many other variety of flowers. It was so bright and vibrant, that it put the sun to shame. The garden was definitely an artist's dream.

Yui led me down a cobblestone path, in which the path was well dressed with a gorgeous golden path of Marigolds.

As we walked hand in hand, my mouth was in an "O" shape the whole time we walked along. Yui peeked at me, very clearly entertained by my impressed expression.

We finally came to a stop. I saw that Yui had brought me to a cute well chiseled stone bench. It was a pure white that made it look so innocently adorable. It even had arm rests that were curled into vines that had flowers along them. The bench was wide enough for Yui and I to sit and so we did. Once we sat, Yui turned to me obviously wondering what I thought about the garden.

"So, you like it?"

Surprised that she even had to ask, my eyes widened and I laughed.

"Like it? Yui this is like a fantasy world or something. Who even tends to this garden? It must be a lot of work."

"Well we did have gardeners, but their father dismissed all the workers from the mansion."

I frowned. Mr. Sakamaki dismissed all the workers? I remember Laito telling me that last night at dinner.

"Laito told me that last night. He said that you guys use to have servants but Mr. Sakamaki got rid of them all."

Yui hummed with a nod. A crease then formed on her forehead.

"Yes its true. Their father says that he wanted them to learn responsibility but I found it rather odd as to why he would do that in the first place. Excusing Reji, he knows how his sons are. They're aren't exactly the most mature, let alone capable of taking care of certain matters."

"When did he let go all of the workers?"

"Soon after he got word that I had been turned into a vampire."

Yui's face suddenly grew a bit distant and she spaced out for a small second. It was only then, me calling her name appeared to snap her back to reality. She perked up after hearing her name and I laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Yui are you okay?"

She looked at me and let out a not so reassuring giggle.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright. Just remembered something is all. Anyways, I brought you out here for a reason."

"Oh?" I wonder curiously.

Yui nodded.

"Yes. I'm not sure if you um, want to talk about it...but...did something happened between you and Laito last night?

Yui rushed out that last part, undoubtedly embarrassed at having asked such a question out loud.

My whole face burned at the boldness of her question and I ended up stuttering out a response.

"W-w-what...!? I-I mean...! What made you ask that?!"

Based on my reaction, Yui turned away from me and hung her head. Her face was as red as mine but her expression wasn't similar to mine. Whereas my face adorned an embarrassed expression, hers appeared to have a look of...disappointment? Why does she look so sullen all of a sudden? Once I feel myself calming down, I clear my throat, trying to get my words together.

"Yui what made you ask that?"

Yui slowly peeked up at me and sighed.

"I can...smell him all over you. That's why I asked."

I felt my whole body shiver at the thought of having his scent on my body. Apparently I didn't scrub hard enough.

"Laito...he...well he did do...something. But I swear I wasn't willing! That sick...that degrading...repulsive pervert forced me to! I'll never forgive him for it Yui."

Yui's eyes went wide with fear at my words. She then quickly grabbed both of my hands and held tightly.

"Hiyori now I feel worse than ever. My god, I had no idea. I should've tried harder in keeping him away from you, no matter what. Hiyori...I'm...I'm a terrible friend for letting you go through that."

Yui's eyes began to well up with tears as she stared at me with sad soaked eyes. She felt responsible? She shouldn't take responsibility for Laito's actions, nor any of the brothers. What they do, doesn't have anything to do with her. I gripped Yui's hands just as tight.

"Yui its not your fault. Stop feeling responsible for those boys twisted deeds. You can't be there all the time, and I understand that. Believe it or not, I've held my own against them pretty well."

I gave her a hearten smile attempting to ease her aching emotions. It didn't seem to work well enough, because she shook her head while releasing my hands.

"No Hiyori...It is my fault. If I had just broke away from Ayato for just a short while, you'd still be innocent."

As I watched tears run down Yui's face, I frowned, confused at the last part of her sentence.

"I-Innocent? Yui what do you mean?"

Yui momentarily stop crying and looked at me all while still sniffling a bit.

"Didn't...Laito force himself on you?"

I jumped up out of my seat baffled at Yui's assumption.

"No way! I'd had killed him before he went that far!"

Even though her eyes were still wet from the tears, I could see some small relief start to appear on her face.

"So you two didn't...? He didn't?"

I shook my head vigorously denying her assumption. This whole time, she thought that Laito had forced himself on me. That's why she was so upset. When she said she smelled him on me, how tired I looked from the bags and how sullen I had appeared, she thought the worse had happened. I mean something did happen, but nothing to that extent. Never in a million years. At least not with that sick creep.

I sat back down in my seat and turned towards Yui.

"Yui that's what you thought? That he had his way with me? I assure you that did not happen."

"Really?"

"Most definitely."

Yui's tears soon stopped and her face became more relaxed.

"But...his scent is all over you."

I let out an annoyed groan.

"I spent the night in Laito's room. After you and Ayato left the table last night, I was pretty much stuck with him. He wouldn't leave me alone and he soon pretty much forced me to his room and he spent the whole night harassing me."

"By harassing you, you mean...?"

I hung my head low and said in a small murmured voice.

"He...t-touched...me..."

Thankfully I didn't need to repeat it, because Yui had obviously heard me. Her face was proof of that.

"Even though it didn't go far, it still isn't right. You weren't willing. If I had just tried to..."

I immediately cut Yui off.

"Yui stop it. Listen to me, its not your fault. Besides, the one who should be apologizing is Ayato. I mean, he did pull you away from me numerous times."

Yui wiped her face with her sleeve, then let out a tired sigh and stared down at her feet. I saw that she had a small smile that slowly showed on her face at what I said.

Yui nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. He does that a lot. But I'm gonna put my foot down. He's gotta stop doing that."

"As much as I want to cheer for you Yui, you and I both know that you turn into a puddle with that Ayato of yours."

Yui's pale face lit up a bright pink, then she puffed her cheeks and turned away from me.

"Hiyori you say the darnedest things."

Yui then looked back at me with a more serious look on her face.

"Really though, are you really okay? With what happened with Laito and all? If you want to talk about it, we can."

Talking to Yui about it would in fact ease my mind a bit. I know she won't judge me at all but I can't help but feel hesitant on saying it. Telling her isn't the issue, its just saying it aloud is so very humiliating enough. Just thinking about it sent goosebumps springing up all over my petrified body.

Sighing, I finally spoke up.

"Its not that I don't want to talk about it, it's just...I don't know. What he did to me was something I'd never experienced before and I...I felt so dirty Yui. Like I was some used toy of his."

Everything that happened last night ran through my head again and I shut my eyes trying to pull myself together. I felt Yui lay her hand on my shoulder and I opened my eyes then looked at her.

"Hiyori..."

"He thinks nothing of it. He acts as if it's normal to treat women a certain way. Not all women are like the ones he's encountered in his life."

I rubbed my hand tiredly down my face and sighed while shaking my head. I honestly would prefer not to see Laito for a long while. If only it was that easy though. He pops up whenever and wherever I am. Whether I run into him or he somehow finds me. Its so crazy how I just can't shake him. More like why doesn't he just leave me alone. I mean surely he's got someone else to waste his time on but why me. He's a very attractive boy with some odd kind of charm, so I'm sure he's popular with girls. I just wish he would get bored with me so that I can stop looking over my shoulder.

I felt Yui's hand on my back and she gently patted me.

"I really hate that you're going through this ever since you've met me. Do you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course I do. Do you still doubt that? Why?"

Yui removed her hand from my back and shrugged.

"You know when I told you that whenever I befriended someone, Ayato and his brothers would ruin that?"

I nodded.

"Well not only would that happen, but most of the time, a lot of girls would pretend to be my friend, just to get closer to them."

I frowned, clearly getting angry at what Yui had just told me. Was she serious? Did those girls really go that far?

"That's horrible Yui! Honestly though, if only those girls knew how they really behaved instead of watching them from a distance, I wonder if it'd change their infatuation with them."

Shaking her head, Yui let out a long huff of air.

"That's what I use to think, but the girls at that school seem to be even more intrigued with them. Even knowing how crude and brash they are." Yui shrugged.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. So those girls knew what kind of people they were and yet they're still so enamored with them. That's so twisted.

I shook my head. "Geez, just what kind of warped minds do they have?"

"Its just the boys carry a certain charm that catches the attention of many people. Once someone gets curious about them, they can't help but busy themselves with wanting to get closer."

I placed a finger on my chin wondering something.

"Do you think its a vampire thing? I mean based on the stereotypes, vampires carry a certain air about them that just draws people to them automatically."

Yui shrugged. "Yeah I suppose. Vampires are naturally alluring and intriguing, so its not like there's an on/off switch or something."

"And that's unfortunate because people hound them like panting dogs. Have you ever had any suitors Yui?"

"After I turned? Absolutely. I mean before I turned, I had a few boys that were actually interested in me but when I turned, they...changed. Like they wanted to wait on me hand and foot."

I couldn't help but scrunch my face up at what Yui just said.

"That must've been so..."

"Uncomfortable? Yeah it was. But Ayato chased them away. So any suitors that I have now, they sure are hush about it."

Yui had a small giddy looking smile on her face as she talked about how Ayato basically shooed away any boy that caught an interest in her. She doesn't seem the type, but I can tell that she enjoyed the attention that Ayato gave her. I'm sure she even likes it a little when he's jealous because its proof that he only wants her and would want her to feel the same, which I'm sure she does without question.

"Ayato sure is an intimidating guy that's for sure. I bet you like that part of him just as much as everything else."

Yui shuffled her feet shyly and scratched the back of her head.

"A-anyway Hiyori, I truly am sorry you had to go through that with Laito. I agree with you all the way that he shouldn't see you as something to simply play with."

I sighed while shaking my head.

"Well what's done is done. I won't let him try anything like that again. I've already been fighting back, but I'm just gonna have to fight back harder."

I had a huge feeling that this wouldn't be the last of Laito's playful games with me, but I refuse to let that happen again anytime soon. Last night felt like the final straw with him. I couldn't help but wonder though why he's so persistent with me when he can have any girl he wants. As far as I know, I'm mostly an average girl with an odd healing ability. And since Laito doesn't know that last bit, he should mostly see me as a plain ol' girl. Perhaps he sees me as a challenge and it clearly rose something within him to keep coming at me until I eventually bend. That'll be the day when world peace happens.

"Anyways Yui, lets stop talking about him. Let's just enjoy the weather and our time away from those barbarians for the time being."

Nodding with a smile, Yui stood up and ushered me to stand as well.

"You're right. Come on, I want to show you something."

Yui grabbed my hand and pulled me along to where she wanted to bring me. She brought me to a cute cottage sized green house. I was expecting to see more flowers of many kinds but instead what I saw behind the glass was a sudden fresh view of colorful fruits and Vegetables. Yui opened the door and led me inside.

"Tada~..."

With my lips in an 'O' shape, I walked inside looking up and down, left and right at the many berries and many fresh vegetation in front of me.

"Yui is there anything that you can't do? This is insane. You did all this yourself?"

Yui, clearly flustered, shook her head.

"Not really. Well I did about 50% of the work. The workers that were here would tend to it while I was at school or asleep. Fortunately, everything sprouted before everyone was forced to leave, and that left me with not much to do."

I walked around looking at the bushes full of berries and saw a few dead weeds surrounding them.

"When's the last time you tended to the garden?"

"I think a couple days ago. I haven't had time to pull out weeds or check for bugs that might've gotten in."

I snapped my finger.

"Yui Komori, was your plan to get me to help you clean up this garden?"

Yui turned away from me, but not before I saw a small smile curve on her lips.

"Maybe..."

We both burst with laughter and got ready to do some weed pulling and bug checking. Yui and I spent god knows how long tearing up weeds and swiping away bugs that had gotten in. We had to harvest a few fruits and Vegetables that were already done growing. Some of the fruits and vegetables we couldn't save because ants and worms had buried their way inside so we had to toss it. The ones we did mange to save, we picked it and planned on bringing it into the house with us. Yui told me that Reji actually used some of the things she's grown. That actually surprised me a bit because I would imagine Reji wouldn't dare use it unless he'd grown it himself. She even told me that Reji complimented her on her produce. Well, he "complimented" her.

"Reji san didn't exactly say that it was delicious or fresh, he basically said, 'Its edible enough', and walked off."

I shook my head.

"Well that's as close of a praise as its gonna get with him huh?"

Yui nodded while giggling.

"Yup but that's fine. He doesn't have to say it. His actions speak enough as it is. I mean he uses my vegetables more than he uses the store's. He once made this delicious beef stew that was to die for."

Soon as Yui brought up the stew, my stomach let out an inhuman growl. My face grew red as the tomatoes we picked and I placed my hand over my stomach. It hadn't even dawned on me that I hadn't eaten this morning and its been a couple hours since then.

Yui took the obvious hint and insisted that we wrap things up so that we can head inside and make something to eat.

 ** _~lllllllllllllllllllllll~_**

We made it inside and washed what we harvested in the sink. We brought in cucumbers, strawberries, blue berries, tomatoes, and potatoes. Once everything was cleaned and put away, we rummaged around in the kitchen trying to make something to eat. We settled on making simple finger sandwiches for ourselves and some tea. With our food on our plates and our tea in our cups, we headed towards the living room.

Sitting side by side, Yui and I sat and snacked away while chatting idly.

"So Hiyori, why'd you transfer to Ryoutei? Was it because of your Dad's job?"

I nodded.

"Yup. He had another job at some company but it didn't pay well enough. One day he told me that someone had offered him a position. That someone of course, was Mr. Sakamaki."

"Did your Dad tell you how that came about?"

I sipped my tea them shrugged.

"He did but he didn't specify too much. He told me that Mr.Sakamaki was at their company for some kind of business and caught his interest. Mr.Sakamaki told him that he liked how efficient he was and then offered him a position as his assistant."

Yui took in all of what I was saying with a curious look on her face. I could tell that she wanted to ask something else but was clearly hesitating.

"Yui you can ask me whatever you want. Don't worry."

"I just don't want to ask anything that'll offend you."

I shook my head.

"Yui that's something that I know you'll never do."

Yui smiled and then sighed.

"I know that its just you and your Dad, but what happened to your mother?"

A part of me knew that that's what she wanted to ask but another part of me was hoping I was wrong. Its not that I didn't want to talk about it, its just something I didn't know how to fully discuss with someone. Other than Dad, I've never opened up to someone like this before. So I wouldn't know how to start something this personal. I took a deep breath and then tilted my head unsure of how to start the topic.

"Well to keep it brief, my mother passed away when I was very young. Dad told me she had got into an accident on her way home. It was a grim day for us but we eventually pulled through okay."

Yui's face immediately grew sympathetic and I could tell that she was trying not to seem as if she was pitying me.

"Hiyori I'm sorry for your loss. I bet your mother was a lovely person."

"Yui you would've loved my Mom. So accepting, considerate and rarely judged others."

"I'm sure you miss her everyday."

Sighing, I nodded while sipping at my tea. "I do. But I learned eventually that grieving for her everyday wasn't gonna bring her back. Dad and I had to move on with life and be happy."

"I'm sure your mother is very proud that you and your Father are doing well taking care of one another. She would've wanted that I'm sure."

Yui and I looked at each other understandingly then smiled. I hadn't expected to be able to open up so well with her but then again, I wasn't too surprised. Yui's a very great listener and quite easy to get comfortable with. Like I can trust her with anything and I would like for her to feel the same way with me.

We enjoyed the rest of our time together so much, that we forgot all about the six brothers that we sleeping away in their rooms. It went from me telling Yui a funny story about how my Dad and Mom met, to her telling me about the first time Ayato kissed her. I couldn't contain my laughter once she got to the end about how he was the first to blush.

"No way! Ayato? Really? The arrogant and pushy Ayato?"

Yui laughed at my description of him and nodded.

"Yes way. Like I said, he's actually got a soft side underneath that tough exterior of his."

As I shook my head in disbelief at Yui's claim, I turned to look outside and saw that it was already early evening and a thought suddenly dawned on me.

"Oh I almost forgot. My Dad leaves town today for work. I told him that I'd be home before he left."

Yui perked up when she saw me suddenly stand.

"When does your Father leave?"

"This evening. I'm assuming around 5pm or 6pm."

"Well come on let's go and pack up your belongings and I'll get you a ride home."

I thanked Yui as we both headed upstairs to my room. When we made it there, we began packing up my things so that I could be on my way. Yui had temporarily left my side to go and get the car ready for my leave. While Yui was gone, I went in the bathroom to see if I had left anything in there. After giving the bathroom a quick once over, I turned around leaving the bathroom only to be met with a very sneaky Laito perched on the bed going through my bags. His sudden appearance caused my heart to jump slightly and my breath to catch in my throat. With my hand on my chest, I simply stared at him with a frown.

"Laito what are you doing?"

Not yet looking up at me while still rummaging through my belongings, Laito gave me a sly side eye.

"I think I should be asking you that. You were just gonna leave without giving me a goodbye kiss? After all we shared last night?"

Laito had pulled out a pair of my underwear and lifted them as if he was admiring them. At that, my mouth upturned into a snarl and my eyes zeroed in on him.

"That was something entirely meaningless and disgusting that will never happen again."

I stomped over to him and snatched my underwear out of his hands.

"Ohhhh you just love to offer me challenges don't you~?"

Stuffing my underwear back into my bag, I squared my shoulders.

"That's not a challenge, its a 'try anything like that again and I'll kill you' statement."

Laito's eyebrows shot up at my little tantrum.

"My my, someone's a bit wound up. I know just the thing that will loosen you up."

Before I could jump back away from him to put some space between us, he had already grabbed my wrists and pulled me down on the bed with him hovering over me.

I yanked and pulled as hard as I could attempting to get out of his grasp, but like always it was useless.

"Laito I swear..."

"You swear what darling? That you'll kill me? By all means, go for it."

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. I couldn't try anything at all. I said that I would just have to fight back harder but that was easier said than done. Laito had the upper hand due to his strength, whereas my strength rested below average. Kneeing him between the legs seemed to have been working, but he bounces back as if I barely touched him. Despite it being almost useless, I still attempted to hit him from anywhere I could. Laito merely held me tighter and stopped whatever other possible move I would try to attempt on him.

God where was Yui. I really need her. Just as I thought that, something, well more like someone, pulled Laito from on top of me. I quickly sat up and saw that Laito had landed on his bottom when he had been thrown off of me. Standing next to him was Subaru with a very annoyed look on his face. His annoyed glare landed on me and he grunted clearly bothered that he had to come and aid me again.

Laito had then stood up from the floor while straightening his clothes.

"You interrupted me again, so rude. You need to learn some manners Subaru~."

Subaru's eyes left me and landed on Laito. I could see how he wanted to hit Laito and a huge part of me was hoping that he did just that but I also didn't want to be in the middle of the commotion.

"Shut the hell up you sick bastard. And you..."

Subaru looked back at me.

"Hurry and grab your crap and go. She's looking for you."

I temporarily froze in place at Subaru's words, then I wondered if Yui had sent Subaru upstairs to help me. I'm sure she knew that Laito was up here harassing me again and asked Subaru if he could fetch me. But Subaru didn't seem like the type that would help someone. I mean don't get me wrong I'm more than grateful for his interference but I'm sure he hated that he had to come and help me yet again. Not to mention I'm sure that he was still upset with me for getting in between him and his father last night. He probably felt that it was none of my business and hated that I stopped him from practically throttling his father. Maybe I should apologize when I get the chance and explain my actions a bit better to him.

"Hey! I said she's waiting for you! Could you move your ass!"

Subaru's outburst startled me out of my thoughts and I moved quickly to grab my things.

"R-right! I'm coming down...!"

Yeah I don't think that Subaru is gonna make that easy for me. Before I could leave out the room with my things in tow, Laito made sure to give me one last farewell before my departure in the form of a wink.

 ** _~lllllllllllllll~_**

"Hiyori there you are."

Yui was waiting downstairs by the door for me. She had a knowing look on her face and nodded.

"I'm guessing I did the right thing by asking Subaru for a favor."

I nodded while walking downstairs with my things in tow. So I was right, she did send him upstairs.

"You sure are right because as soon as you left, you'd never guess who came to see me off."

Yui shook her head while sighing.

"I would've gone up myself but I'd never convince him otherwise. If anything, it would've spurred him on more to not only harass you but me as well."

Making it downstairs, I stood in front of Yui eyebrows rose.

"Even though he knows you and Ayato are together?"

"That's Laito kun for you. Anyways let's go, the cars ready."

Yui helped me grabbed my things and we both headed out towards the car. Opening the doors, we tossed my things inside and got in. The ride to my house didn't take long but regardless of how short it was, Yui and I made it somewhat eventful. I was curious about the driver of the car and asked Yui about it. Mr.Sakamaki got rid of all the workers didn't he? So who was driving the car? Then I remembered what she told me before.

"Yui you said that the boy's familiars drive?"

"Yes."

I frowned completely confused on how a small bat could control a whole car. Yui noticed my confusion and chuckled.

"Try not to think about it to hard. If I were to attempt to explain it to you, you'd be asking me question after question to no end I'm sure."

"Hehe...you're right."

Once we pulled up in front of my house, I leaned over and opened the door. Yui exited from the other side and then met me on my side. We both grabbed my things and walked up to my front porch. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my key twisting the lock and opening the door.

"Dad I'm home!"

As Yui and I made our way inside, I could hear Dad moving around in the kitchen. He finished up whatever it was he was doing and met us near the door.

"There you are. I honestly thought you would be home a bit later. Hello Yui, was my daughter good company?"

Yui offered a smile and greeted my Dad.

"Hello Mr. Yamaguchi and yes we had a good time. I'm sorry that I dragged her away from you just to spend the night at my home."

Dad waved off her apology.

"Nonsense. Girls should be girls."

I put my things aside and walked up to Dad to give him a hug.

"Hey Dad. Sorry I left before you could tell me you were leaving town."

Dad gave me a tight squeeze before letting me go to pat me on the head. "Don't worry about that. You're home now to see me off and that's all that matters. Yui do you have time for tea?"

Yui shook her head.

"Unfortunately I don't but thanks for the offer. I should be getting back home. Have a safe trip Mr. Yamaguchi and Hiyori I'll call you when I get home."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

I saw Yui off as she headed towards the car and waved at her. Yui got in and rolled down her window.

"Hopefully we'll be able to have a real sleepover."

I nodded with a grin.

"I'm sure we will. See you!"

Yui gave me one last wave as the car drove away. I closed the door and made my way back to where Dad was.

"That Yui seems like a real nice girl. Does she live far from here?"

"Not really. By car probably about 10 minutes. So Dad do you need any help packing?"

"I don't think so. I think I have everything already but I suppose you can help me check off everything that I should have."

Dad and I spent a short while of making sure he had everything ready for when he left this evening. I honestly was a bit worried about him leaving town for work. I wondered why Mr. Sakamaki needed my Dad to go with him? I understand that my Dad is a hardworking man but Mr. Sakamaki seems more than capable of handling certain things himself. I'm sure him not having his assistant with him for a few days won't be totally disastrous for him. I wanted to ask Mr. Sakamaki during dinner why he needed my father to accompany him but I didn't want to seem too nosey just in case it wasn't my business.

Dad's bags were packed along with all of the necessities he needed for work. I also made sure that he had other personal things packed away like medicine for headaches and stomach aches.

"Hiyori shouldn't I be worried about you? I mean you'll be by yourself for a few days and you're mother henning me?"

I opened up one of Dad's bags and tossed in a couple of pill bottles.

"I'm not mother henning you, just supplying you with things you may need. Plus, I won't be by myself all the while. I have Yui and Yusuke here to keep me company."

Dad nodded and sighed.

"Yeah that's true but I still can't help but be concerned."

I rolled my eyes.

"Dad I promise I'll be fine. Besides, I'll be calling you to let you know that I'm still alive and breathing."

Dad walked over to me and patted me on my head.

"And I'll be calling you to make sure you haven't been throwing any wild parties in my absence."

Laughing at his absurd statement, I tapped my finger on my chin.

"Well I wasn't thinking of doing that but maybe..."

Before Dad could reply, there was a shrilling ringing coming from his pocket.

"Oh sorry Hiyori, it's my boss. Probably calling to tell me that he's sending a car over."

As Dad answered his phone, I grabbed my bags, which were still near the door way, and dragged them to my room. I left my bags in the middle of my floor and then just laid down on my bed with a flop. It felt good to be back home and in my room. I was only at the Sakamaki's for one night but it felt like a long dragged out amount of time. I had a bit of fun but the time I was forced to spend with Laito overshadowed that fun. I couldn't help but constantly think about what had transpired between us. My face grew red with embarrassment and I felt a small pang in my chest at home degrading I must've been. It's so hard to not think about the first time you've had an orgasm. Especially when the person who caused it was a perverted sadist.

I turned my head and buried my face into my pillow while groaning. I'll just move on with life and try to let it pass. It will pass. This feeling and those memories will eventually pass. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, it'll come true.

"Hiyori?"

I lifted my head at the sound of my name being called. Dad was in the doorway staring at me looking a bit worried.

"Hiyori is everything okay?"

I sat up and nodded.

"Yeah yeah. Everything's fine, just feels good to be back in my bed is all."

A frown appeared on his face, clearly not fully convinced.

"Hiyori if anything is bothering you, you can let me know. It won't hinder my work while I'm out of town, so don't worry about that."

Sometimes I think Dad can read my mind. Either that or maybe its because I wear my heart on my sleeve. I wanted to tell him what was bothering me, but I felt that it was something that would eventually diminish in time and shouldn't be anything to worry about for too long. Not to mention, telling him that I was sexually assaulted by a vampire is something I think I should keep to myself. Dad loves me and all, but I can't help but think that he'd send me straight to a looney bin if I told him that vampires were real. I did want to talk to Dad about the whole healing thing and amongst other things that followed after it.

I sat up a bit straighter and sighed.

"Dad you're right. Something is bothering me but can we talk about it when you get back home?"

Dad looked as if he wanted to press me further into talking but decided against it.

"...Okay. We'll discuss what's on your mind when I get back."

I got up out of bed and walked over to him.

"Promise. So what did your boss want?"

"Just as I expected, he's sending a car. I told him that I would take a taxi."

I smiled silently grateful that Mr. Sakamaki was treating my father so well. I'm sure he appreciates how well my Dad performs his job.

"Well your boss seems like a very generous person."

Dad shut his eyes and put on a half hearted smile.

"I wouldn't say generous but he doesn't treat his employees like they're beneath him."

"If only all bosses were like that."

I noticed that Dad's smile faded for a short second but then returned once his phone began ringing again.

I wonder what that was all about. Before I could ask him what was the matter, he answered his phone.

"Hello?...Yes sir. Again, I appreciate you sending transport. I'm heading out now and I'll meet you there."

Dad snapped his phone shut.

"Okay Hiyori I'm leaving. Now I left you some money just in case and any mail that comes just toss it on the table and I'll look at it when I come home."

I followed Dad all the way to the door and helped him with his bags. He opened the door and was greeted with man dressed in a black suit.

"Yamaguchi?"

Dad nodded while

"Yes. Alright Hiyori just leave the bags to us. I'll be back in a few days, I shouldn't be gone too long. I'll call you before hand to let you know when I plan on returning. You be safe and careful. If anything is the matter, call me and I'll definitely come home and also..."

I held my hands up putting a halt to Dad's rambling.

"Dad I get it! Just go, you're keeping the driver waiting. Call me when you can. Have a safe flight and try to bring me back a souvenir."

Dad gave me a peck on my forehead and headed to the car then slid into the back. I gave him a wave goodbye and wished him again to have a safe flight. Once the car pulled off, I headed back inside only to be greeted with absolute silence. I know that I told him that I would be fine being home alone for a few days but it really does feel strange with him not being here. Knowing that he won't be home the following night really didn't sit well in my stomach but it's okay. I have Yui and Yusuke here with me so I won't be lonely. Yusuke comes over occasionally and I can always talk to Yui on the phone. Yup! I'll be fine! Just fine.

I went and plopped down on the couch then flipped on the TV.

"Maybe if I keep telling myself that, it'll come true..."


	16. Chapter 16

The weekend flew by pretty fast and next thing you knew, it was Monday. I had no idea that I would be missing Dad as much as I was. Fortunately, I wasn't lonely at all. Yui called me off and on throughout the weekend talking about the usual daily antics that occurred under the Sakamaki roof. It really was an eventful and adventurous household. One can definitely never get bored while being accompanied by them. I still can't understand how Yui's able to tolerate such behavior from those boys. Obviously she's able to withstand it because of Ayato. I mean I'm sure she cares for the rest of the brothers as well but she truly loves Ayato. I probably will never see what she sees but if she's genuinely happy being with him and staying in that mansion, then I will continue to root for her.

Yui wasn't the only one that kept me company, Yusuke dropped by as well. He bore good news along with his visit. He told me that he would soon be back at Ryoutei. I expressed very openly at how great of news that was for me to hear. He also told me that his mother wanted to meet me. Yusuke didn't seem to keen on the idea because he was afraid that it would've put more ideas into his mother's head. Well more than what she already has. I told him that I wouldn't mind but Yusuke insisted that I didn't have to. Either way, I would love to meet her. Yusuke doesn't talk about her much but from what I hear from him, I think its safe to assume that she's a nice woman. Yusuke and I even went to the store together yesterday to do some shopping. He came over right when I was about to head out and suggested that we go together considering that he had to head there himself later on. It was nice to have him with me, because the things I bought would've been too heavy for me to carry alone. I then spent the remainder of the day putting up groceries and setting aside the things that I was gonna use to make my lunch for Monday.

I spent my Monday just lazing about, watching tv or thinking about Laito. It really was difficult to try and keep him off my mind but he always crept right back into my thoughts. Even when I was unpacking my bags from my night at his home, he would drift right back into my head. Even when he wasn't near me at all, he stressed me out. As soon as I would find a way to divert my mind of him, his face and those glittering green gems he has for eyes suddenly appears in my head. Honestly, I was expecting him to drop by like he's done before and pester me to no end. I wondered how he'd know if I was alone in my room or not, then I thought of his familiar. Sometimes I would peek out my window and look on the ledge to see if there was a small black winged rodent perched on it. Of course there wasn't anything there but I couldn't help the paranoia. I then thought back to our little tiff that we had in his bed. I've seen him upset and irritated with me before but this time it felt different. Like he really couldn't stand me at that moment. All that I had said to him seemed to have pissed him off. Pissed him off enough to say that he hated me.

 _"Hiyori, when you say things like that so passionately and with those defiant eyes, it honestly makes me feel as if I hate you."_

Just thinking about his harsh words sent a small pang in my chest. It shouldn't have bothered me but as far as I know, I have never been hated before. So for it to be told to my face, it was hurtful and I hated that it hurt because Laito was the one who uttered such cruel words. I didn't want anything that that boy said or did to make me upset but it was definitely too late for that.

More time had passed and next thing you knew, it was almost time for school. Before I began to get ready, I went into the kitchen to fix up my lunch. I wasn't sure what to make, so I decided to fix up a bunch of random stuff. I whipped up some batter to make Takoyaki and fry some cut up pieces of chicken breast. As for sides, I cooked some rice and made a small salad. I wanted to make enough to share with Yui just in case she wanted some.

Once I was done with my lunch, I headed to the bathroom and had a shower. Then I hurriedly got dressed in my school uniform. As I was brushing my hair, I heard a small chime come from my phone. I put down the brush and went to see who it was. I flipped open my phone and saw that it was a message from Yui.

 _"Hiyori did you want a ride to school?"_

I wanted to say yes but immediately got ready to type in the opposite. Before I could send my response, my phone chimed again. It was another message from Yui.

 _"Its okay if you don't want to. I'd understand."_

Yui has got to be a mind reader. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how well she already knew me.

 _"Yeah...sorry. Its just...I don't want to see him, let alone be in such a small space with him."_

I didn't have to say his name because Yui already knew who I was referring to. I'm glad she was so understanding and knew that I wasn't blowing off her offer. I had a legitimate reason as to why I'd rather walk to school tonight than to ride along with them.

 _"Its okay I understand :) see you at school."_

 _"Same :)"_

I snapped my phone shut and then put it in my bag. I got back to fixing up my hair and then made sure I had everything I needed before I headed out. I hurried to the door while grabbing the house keys and slipping on my shoes. I had to leave out a few minutes early in order for me to make it on time. I left the house, made sure the door was locked and then I was on my way.

 ** _~llllllllllll~_**

As soon as I made it to the school gate, my phone started to ring from my bag. I quickly went to open up my bag to answer my phone but I moved too fast and my bag ended up slipping from my hands and falling to the ground with all of my bag's contents falling out. I let out an aggravated sigh and bent down to pick up my belongings. As I was picking up my papers, I noticed another hand reach down in front of me picking up my still ringing cell phone. I followed the arm up and was met with a soft faced brunette girl. With my phone in her hand, she handed it to me with a friendly smile.

"Need some help?"

I reached out and grabbed my phone. The ringing had finally stopped. I smiled back at her.

"Sure since you're offering."

We both started picking up my things and I eventually got everything back into my school bag. Once everything was where it should be, we both stood up and dusted off our skirts.

"Thanks for the help. My phone started ringing suddenly and I was in a rush to grab it."

The brunette laughed.

"Why was it in your bag? Just keep it in your pocket. It'll be easier to reach."

"Yeah I suppose I could. Oh?"

My phone had started to ring again. Fortunately, I had it in my hand rather than my bag and I flipped it open. It was Dad. I gave a quick nod to the girl indicating that I was answer my phone.

"Excuse me for a moment...Hey Dad, I was wondering when you'd call."

Dad let out an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah I know, my boss has been working me down to the bone. I was able to squeeze in a quick minute and decided to call you. You've been alright?"

"Yeah I've been fine. I actually just made it to school."

"Oh okay. Oh...yes sir...Sorry Hiyori I have to go, have a good evening and good night ahead of time."

I nodded.

"You too Dad."

The line ended before he could say anything else. Geez. I wonder what Mr. Sakamaki has Dad doing if he couldn't even call me not once during the weekend. Oh well, as long as Dad's resting and well, then I can only continue on as usual.

I looked back at the girl standing in front of me and I waved my phone while smiling awkwardly.

"Maybe I should take your advice to heart and leave it in my pocket."

The girl giggled.

"Perhaps especially if you've been expecting a call."

The brunette then looked behind me for a quick second. I turned around to see what she was looking at and sure enough it was Yui and the Sakamaki's pulling up in their limo. I was actually surprised that I made it here before them considering that I walked. I wonder what kept everyone. Before they got out the car, the brunette had got ready to turn and leave, but not before saying her goodbyes.

"See ya later. Be careful next time."

"Haha, I will. Thanks for the help."

The girl then hurried inside of the school as the limo began emptying out with Ayato and Yui being the first ones to exit. Yui met my eyes and waved at me with a smile on her face. I stood and waited until she came over to me. Ayato looked reluctant to stand by her side and wait for her while we spoke, so he instead went on ahead inside the school with a grunt as his greeting towards me.

"Hey Hiyori, I see you made it before we did."

I nodded as Yui and I began walking inside the school.

"Yeah I was just thinking that. Did something keep you guys?"

Yui sighed while shaking her head.

"I'll tell you later."

Yui and I began walking towards the school. I looked behind us and noticed that a lot of girls had suddenly swarmed the limo. Ayato was already inside, so all that was left by the car was Shu, Reji, Kanato, Subaru and Laito who was basking in the attention he was getting from the eager girls. I began picking up the pace in my step not wanting to be seen by him because I knew that as soon as he saw me, he would break away from those girls and head in my direction only to bother me.

We made it inside and headed straight to our classroom. As I sat down waiting for class to start, Yui turned towards me with a curious expression.

"Hiyori, who was that girl you were speaking to at the entrance?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know her name, but she had helped me out. My things fell out of my bag as I was trying to answer my phone. My Dad had suddenly called.

"He wasn't able to call you during the weekend?"

I shook my head and sighed.

"No but it's because he's working so hard. He's only Mr. Sakamaki's assistant, I wonder what all he's doing."

"Being the assistant of Japan's most well known political figure won't be an easy thing."

Yui's right. I'm sure that whatever load that Mr. Sakamaki has, he's "sharing" it equally with Dad. I hope that Dad's able to get some rest when he comes back, he's always working himself down to the bone and its sometimes hard to watch. I can't wait until I'm able to take care of him for once. Take the weight off his shoulders so he can kick back and relax.

I let out an exhausted exhale and slouched back in my seat.

"Yeah."

During the time that went by, Yui and I continued talking about little trivial things and many other students did that same. Once our time was over, the bell rang and class was about to start. Everyone got settled in their seats as class got ready to start. Ms. Nakayama then entered the classroom with a smile on her face and a stack of papers in hand.

I noticed that Laito and Kanato hadn't showed up to class and I leaned closer to Yui.

"Looks like they're skipping." I say as I eyed the two empty seats.

Yui let out a casual sigh clearly use to this kind of thing from them.

"I wish that they wouldn't but its something that do. I'm sure their Father is going to get some phone calls soon. They love irritating that man I swear."

I smiled while shrugging.

"What if that's why they do it mostly to annoy their Dad."

Yui and I giggled softly at my theory. The upbeat tone of Ms. Nakayama's voice made Yui's and I heard snap up at attention.

"Morning everyone. If you're wondering about these stack of papers in my hand, they are career questioners. I know its early but you can never be too early when it comes to your futures."

Everyone but Yui and I groaned clearly not in the mood to do the task. I do have to admit, it was too early. I mean we're only juniors, so why do they need us to start looking at jobs or careers so soon.

Ms. Nakayama began walking up and down each aisle sliding a sheet on everyone's desk. After she was done, she headed back up to the podium and glared around the room at certain students, mostly at the boys.

"Don't joke around either or you'll be forced to stay behind and write an appropriate response."

The boys groaned while slouching in their seats. Yui and I looked at each other and giggled.

~llllllllllllllllll~

First half of classes went by pretty quickly for me and I'm glad it did. I was trying to duck and dodge Laito for majority of the evening. Ever since that incident at his house, I couldn't bear to even look at him from a distance let alone stand one foot away from him. I was relieved when he didn't come to first period. I did wonder why though. Yui did say that he and along with a few of his brothers, occasionally will skip. I honestly don't get why any of them attended school at all. The only ones that make an effort in participating in any school activity was Yui and Reji. Perhaps they only come here to get out of the house but who knows. I can only imagine why Laito even bothers to come to school and that was definitely because of the attention that he would get from the horde of female students. I suddenly remembered that he was surrounded by girls at the entrance. He probably sauntered off with them somewhere and planned on skipping all of his classes just to please his drooling harem. I swear he was the biggest pig.

Yui and I had planned to meet on the roof for lunch. Before I was about to head up to the roof, I remembered that I had to grab my lunch box from my locker first. I had never been on the roof of the school before, so I actually couldn't wait to go up there. I bet its a nice view from such a high place. Since its a clear night, we'll have a great view of the stars while we eat.

With my lunch in my hands, I make it up the stairs leading all the way up to the roof and exited through the already opened doors. Maybe someone was up here before I got here or perhaps the school purposely leaves the doors open. Either way, it seemed a little odd.

Of course just as I had expected, I had made it to the rooftop before Yui. I made my way out on the roof taking in how high I was. I also saw that the roof was decently decorated as if they expected students to come up here and eat or do other things. There was even a small bench up here and bushes with small flowers on them. I walked up to a gated fence that surrounded the roof's ledges, obviously it was there to assure no one fell or jumped off. I looked down seeing students gathered all over the place. I still couldn't get over how huge and magnificent this school was.

"I don't think I'll be getting use to this anytime soon."

I was so busy taking in the scene before me, that I didn't even notice someone perched up against the wall. An irritated grunt caused me to jump and turn around to see Subaru leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. I saw that he had a frown on his face and I'm almost certain that frown is there because of me. I could be wrong though, because if I'm not mistaken, Subaru tends to have that scowling look on his face 24/7. I bet he even frowns in his sleep. I didn't even know that he was up here, he was so quiet. I was unsure on whether or not I should approach him while he seemed to be enjoying some alone time. I took a deep breath and on shaky legs, I made my way up to him. A loud voice in my head was telling me to stop and leave him be but my legs kept moving forward. I eventually ended up standing in front of him.

"Um..."

Before I could even get out a full sentence, Subaru stopped me right in my tracks.

"What do you want?"

I licked my suddenly dry lips and swallowed to help my dry throat.

"Oh um...nothing in particular. I just didn't know you were up here."

The only response he gave me was a very uninterested grunt. Clearly he didn't want to be bothered but I didn't want to walk away just yet. I'm sure he doesn't like me or rather he just prefers not to be bothered by people. Yeah he's definitely not the social type.

"If you're done talking, get away from me."

I don't think I'll ever get use to his rough and crude tone with me. I sighed while nervously shuffling my feet. I was standing right in front of him unsure of what to say but then the situation between him and his Father at dinner crossed my mind. I had told myself that I would talk to him about that and apologize for interfering but also explain my actions. I'm sure Subaru could care less but its worth a try.

"Well actually...I wanted to apologize. About what happened at dinner."

I knew I was treading on very thin ice with this but I was somewhat convinced that he was very annoyed by my interference between him and his father. I at least wanted to try and get him to understand that I meant no harm nor disrespect.

Subaru merely stayed leaned up against the wall seemingly ignoring me. Even so, I still spoke.

"I know that it wasn't any of my business, but its better to talk things out rather than just throwing punches. Besides, if you had hit him, what would that have changed?"

Subaru's eyes were now trained on me. His eyes were glowing with anger and I was about to be his target for that anger.

"I don't need a damn lecture. Now get the hell away from me."

"But-..."

Before I could react, Subaru had moved away from the wall and grabbed me by my shoulders slamming me against where he was once perched. The painful impact caused my breath to get caught in my throat and wince in pain. I was then met with Subaru's menacing red eyes. I could only stare back in fear hoping that he wouldn't hurt me anymore than he already was.

His grip on my shoulders had tighten and I couldn't hold back the small whimper of pain.

"S-subaru, you're...hurting me..."

Subaru's frown deepens on his face as he held onto me. For a second there, I thought that a look of conflict appeared on his face but that look was quickly replaced with an amused smirk.

A look of hunger then crept into his eyes. His tongue peeked out and ran greedily across his fangs. I couldn't help the shiver that coursed throughout my body. I know that look. Laito gives that look to me whenever he gets ready to have his fill. Subaru took in my terrified state and chuckled softly.

"I wasn't in the mood, but looking at you like this just changed my mind."

I went to try and shake out of his grip but it was effortless. The harder I tried to free myself, the tighter he held me.

"I'm sorry! I just...wanted to apologize and explain my actions. I didn't mean to pry, I meant no harm. I didn't mean to upset you Subaru, I swear..."

Subaru's eyes narrowed as he took in all the words that tumbled out of my mouth all at once. Subaru came closer towards me making me think he was going to bite me regardless. I shut my eyes tightly waiting for the pain to come but the pain never came.

"God you're just as stupid as she is. That idiot has horrible taste in friends."

My eyes opened as I felt Subaru's grip on my shoulders loosen and then he had completely let me go. He then backed away from me with his eyes still trained on me. I ignored his insult and just simply stared back at him. He looked as if he wanted to say something more but instead turned his head towards the stairway. I wondered why he turned his attention off of me and towards the stairs but then I soon got my answer. I heard footsteps and faint voices coming closer and within earshot. Subaru and I both kept our eyes trained in the same direction until two familiar people finally came into view. It was Yui and she was being accompanied by Ayato.

"Ayato why come up here if all you're doing is complaining? Besides, weren't you playing basketball with the boys in 3C?"

Ayato let out an irritated huff.

"Those wimps aren't a challenge. They were a waste of time and a waste of my talent. It got boring beating them."

Yui let out a sigh and shook her head. She was about to say something else to Ayato but her eyes soon found me and then Subaru.

"Hiyori you're here already and...Subaru?"

Yui looked back and forth between Subaru and I with curiosity. I could tell that she was concerned about the two of us being up here alone but her worry had drained from her face and instead she offered a smile.

"Subaru would you like to join us? We're about to have lunch."

I'm sure Yui knew what Subaru's answer was gonna be but she was still kind enough to ask him anyways.

Subaru turned his head away with a 'hmpf'. His answer was made clear as day as he then turned to leave but not before stopping and giving me a death stare. I couldn't help but shriek back a bit as he stared holes into me. I sat still waiting for him to say something but not a single word came past his lips. Giving Yui one last look, Subaru then made his way downstairs leaving the three of us alone.

I exhaled loudly not even realizing that I had been holding my breath in the first place.

"That hysterical brat. Always in a pissy mood."

Yui glared at Ayato disapprovingly.

"Ayato..."

But he's right though. Subaru is always in an upset mood. Makes me wonder why he always walks around with a giant chip on his shoulder. Yui claims that he's actually pretty nice but I've yet to see any truth to such a thing. I mean thinking back, he has done helpful things for me quite a few times. I also notice that whenever Yui needs something, he seems to almost always answers her call. Sure he'll lend a hand but he'd always do it with a sour attitude as if he doesn't want to be bothered. I want to believe that he's an alright guy, especially since he's helped me on occasion regarding Laito. And yet I have to keep reminding myself that he's a vampire. Had Yui and Ayato not come, he would've definitely bitten me.

I cleared my throat and straightened my clothes that were a bit wrinkled from Subaru's roughness.

"So...I see Ayato is joining us?"

Ayato folded his arms while narrowing his eyes at me.

"What? Don't want yours truly here?"

I shook my head denying his assumption.

"That's not it at all, just curious. I mean, you usually are preoccupied elsewhere right?"

Ayato huffed and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah but not this time. Chichinashi hasn't been by my side as much ever since you showed up."

Yui's face turned a light pink as she stared at Ayato.

"Ayato you make it sound as if she's stolen me from you."

Ayato shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's eat. I know you made Takoyaki, I can smell it."

Yui frowned confused at Ayato's assumption.

"I didn't make Takoyaki. I didn't even know you were gonna join me at lunch."

I giggled while lifting up my lunch.

"I believe that was me. I made quite a bit just in case Yui would want some, but good thing you're here too Ayato. The food won't go to waste."

All three of us got settled on the roof. Ayato, Yui and I sat on the bench with Yui sitting right between Ayato and me. It seemed a little out of place having Ayato here, but I guess I still wasn't use to having him near me.

We unpacked our lunches and began eating while chatting in between. It was surprisingly pleasant because to be honest with you, I was mostly expecting Ayato to ruin it by doing something very typical of himself. Like saying something crude, or fondling Yui as she clearly got embarrassed. Fortunately, he hasn't done anything. At least not yet.

"Ayato you ate all of them?"

Yui's disappointed tone brought me out of my thoughts. I looked down at my lunch box and saw that the Takoyaki was all gone. Only thing that was left was the fried chicken and small salad. I couldn't help the small pout that formed on my lips. I turned my upset gaze on Ayato.

"You really ate all of them? Geez, Yui and I only had one each."

Ayato folded his arms while leaning back on the bench.

"Not my fault that you guys eat so slow. Besides, you didn't even make a lot."

Yui shook her head and then sighed.

"Would it kill you to be a bit more considerate and plus your being here was completely unplanned."

I nodded.

"Yui's right. Besides, had I known that you would be joining us, I would've made plenty."

Clearly not minding what we were saying, Ayato completely tuned us out by shutting his eyes and slouching further in his seat.

Yui and I looked at each other and shook our heads.

We continued to eat whatever what was left while Ayato relaxed off to the side. Once we finished with lunch, Yui and I began to pack up everything. We still had time left before the bell rang for class, so we decided to just wait out the rest of the time lounging about on the roof.

"So Hiyori, I know you don't want to even hear his name, but you haven't seen Laito since we came to school right?"

At the sound of his name, I felt my shoulders square and tense up. She's right, I didn't want to hear his name nor think about him. I still couldn't stop thinking about what happened between us. Especially the little spat we had and him saying that he hated me.

I shook off my obviously uncomfortable state and answered.

"N-no..." I cleared my throat trying to stop my quivering voice and continued.

"Not since you all showed up. He's clearly gonna skip the whole evening entertaining those panting girls that happily greeted him right in front of the entrance."

I didn't mean to sound so sour about it but Laito really spurred some heated and negative emotions inside of me. I was angry with him, hurt, and confused. Just the whole thing with him was absolutely infuriating and I hated that I was letting it get to me so much.

Yui saw me clenching my fist and laid her hand on me.

"Hiyori...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought him up."

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes.

"No its okay. Its just he's such a pain Yui. I just don't understand Laito at all and I'm not sure if I want to or not. I mean, one minute he's being an absolute eye sore, then the next he's cradling me in his arms."

If only it'd be easy to just stay away from him. I know that there was no way that I'd be able to avoid him forever and I knew that. But some time apart from him would at least make me a feel a bit better. Yet I couldn't stop thinking about him as well. Not only could I not avoid him physically but mentally as well.

"Hiyori everything will get better, you're stronger than this. You won't let him conquer you. You just have to...-"

Ayato suddenly interrupted Yui mid sentence.

"Laito's a sick freak that gets off on being a pest. The more you bitch and moan about it, the more of an opening you're gonna keep giving him."

Ayato's sudden intrusion caught both Yui and I off guard. We both stared at him trying to take in what he'd just said. Yui blinked a bit surprised at Ayato's out of the blue statement.

"A-ayato..."

Completely ignoring Yui, Ayato continued on.

"What? You think you're special or something? Tch idiot. If I were you, I wouldn't think about it too hard. I know that bastard well enough to know that he'll soon get what he wants from you, and when he does, you'll be old garbage to him."

I stared at Ayato with a slightly dropped jaw and a blanked out faced. I didn't know what to say nor how to take in his words but I did know one thing, is that he was right. He's known Laito obviously his whole life, so I'm sure he's seen Laito say and do things throughout both of their lives. Of course Laito doesn't see me as anything different from his usual playthings. Me? Special in Laito's eyes? Had I really began to think that deep down, that I was something somewhat different from his usual band of conquests? I mean I always felt that he treated me a bit different, but whose to say that he hasn't given this similar treatment to other girls. I'm nothing special to him but a challenge in his eyes. Ayato was right. I shouldn't think about it too hard or more like at all. Laito's gonna sooner if not later get tired of me and when he does, I'll feel a huge weight off my shoulders. I'll finally be free from his advances.

"Ayato did you really have to say that? Do you not know how to be subtle at all? Goodness you really should...-"

I laid my hand on Yui's shoulder and shook my head.

"Yui...its okay. He's...actually right. Perhaps I've been thinking too much into this whole thing with Laito. I'll just continue on as usual."

Yui frowned.

"As usual?"

I nodded.

"Yup. Us hanging out and Laito occasionally bothering me with his typical behavior. I just won't fight too much with him. He'll get bored, if not that, tired of me. I'm certain."

I then turned to Ayato and gave him a small smile.

"Thanks Ayato. For the reassurance."

Ayato turned his head away letting out a grunt.

"You idiot, I wasn't saying that to make you feel better. Whatever, I regret coming up here now."

With a grunt, Ayato got up from his seat and then stretched his arms above his head. Then without warning, he headed for the exit leaving Yui behind.

"Wait, Ayato are you going to class?"

Ayato turned his head as he was heading downstairs.

"What do you think?"

Shaking her head, Yui gathered her things to get ready to leave.

"For once I wish he would attend all his classes."

I stood up chuckling while getting my belongings together as well.

"I'm honestly surprised that he even goes to a class at all."

"Well he use to skip class all together."

"Use to? He doesn't anymore?"

Yui shook her head as a faint yet noticeable blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Not until he met me anyways."

I smiled while gently nudging Yui's shoulder.

"Ohhh, sounds like to me that you changed him somewhere down the line."

Yui blushed even more and scratched her chin with one finger.

"Oh I don't know about that..."

"I'm sure that you've brighten up his life a bit. Well not only him but his brothers as well. You did say that you had a hard time when you all first met right?"

Yui sighed clearly remembering how things were before now.

"A very intense time more like it. As time went on, they all started to change. Opened up a bit and then grew somewhat comfortable with me. Like Kanato for example, he wouldn't dare let me anywhere near his Teddy. Yet now whenever there is a tear or something, he comes to me first. Its definitely gotten better over time and I'm happy."

I stared at Yui taking in all of what she just confessed to me and wasn't sure how I felt. I think a small feeling of pity welled up inside of me but then I pushed that feeling away fast. I shouldn't feel pity for her and I'm sure she wouldn't want me to. She's never specified her hardships with the brothers and I'm honestly too afraid to ask for the details. Too nervous about what I'll hear from her. When did she realize she loved Ayato? How many times did she get bitten? Did she ever fear for her life? I wonder if she was ever close to death while she was with them?

So many questions but I'm sure they all have traumatic answers that I don't think my ears will be able to handle any time soon.

The bell soon rang putting a halt to my rambling thoughts.

"Yui, doesn't it feel as if time flies whenever we're together?"

Yui nodded.

"You feel it too? Maybe we should spend more time together so that the week passes quickly."

I laughed.

"Then next thing you know its the weekend."

Still laughing, Yui and I made our way towards the exit and then headed down the stairs. Once we got down to the hallway, Yui and I both separated heading towards our classes. We didn't have our next class together but we were both on the same floor. Which was great because once we switched classes again, we'd run right into each other greeting each other as usual.

I made it to my class just as the bell rang again for class to start. As I was about to make my way to my seat, someone laid a hand on my shoulder from behind. The sudden action startled me because I immediately thought of Laito. Stopping in my tracks, I took a deep breath and turned around slowly unsure of how I was gonna respond to him but then I was immediately put at ease when I saw that it wasn't Laito. It was instead the girl I met at the entrance gate. She flashed a smile as soon as she saw my face.

"Hey again. I see we're in the same class. Good thing to because you forgot to pick this up."

She held up a pen that I didn't really recognize. I frowned looking unsure if that really was something that belonged to me. It was a simple pen, maybe it had been buried in my bag and I didn't know it had been there. I reached up and took the pen while smiling.

"Thank you uh...I'm sorry we haven't introduced each other yet. I'm Hiyori Yamaguchi."

I bowed slightly and she did the same as she introduced herself.

"Mika Himekawa. Nice to meet you."

We shared a smile and then took our seats. She says that we're in the same class, yet I've never seen her before. I wondered if she was new to this school as well. Or perhaps I simply never noticed her. I've mostly been associating myself with Yui and the Sakamaki's, so maybe I haven't noticed her at all. I'll try to ask her before we switch classes.

I couldn't focus at all during class with my thoughts constantly being filled with Laito. As much as I couldn't stand that sick bastard, he continued to stalk my mind. I hadn't seen him since we arrived at school and he didn't even show up to first period. I'm sure I was right about him being with those charm struck girls. I really am trying to take Ayato's advice and leave well enough alone, but why is it so hard? Perhaps our heated conversation that took place in his room had something to do with the fact that I kept thinking about him. I mean we've had spats before, mostly those arguments coming from my end, but this time it felt as if I'd touched a nerve. I mean he said he hated me for goodness sake. And for what? All because we don't share the same outlook on what love is? He's so childish.

Another thing that was ticking me off, was the fact that deep down, those words had hurt my feelings. That jerk's words should mean nothing to me. I shouldn't be phased by whatever he says, and yet here I was lightly tapping my foot and sighing every second during class. What period was this anyway? What were we doing? I don't even remember this teacher's name. Did we have a substitute? My head is all over the place! I need some air.

I raised my hand and waited until the teacher stopped writing on the board.

"Yes Yamaguchi?"

"Sorry to interrupt sir, but may I go to the infirmary? I don't feel so well..."

He looked at the clock and then back at me.

"You sure it can't wait until class is over? Its only 15 minutes until class ends and I wouldn't want you to miss anything."

Just then, Mika raised her hand.

"She can get the notes from me."

Our teacher looked between the both of us and then eventually nodded his head giving me the okay to go on ahead to the infirmary. I stood up out my seat and then grabbed my belongings. While I was making my way towards the door, Mika stopped me signalling me to bend down so that my ear came near her mouth.

"I'll definitely lend you my notes. I'll give them to you after school."

I stood back up straight and smiled at her.

"Thanks Mika, you're amazing."

She copied my grin and then shooed me towards the exit, telling me to go on ahead. I left the classroom and made my way to the nurse's office. I took my time getting there because I needed time to just let my head breath. Honestly, I wasn't planning on going to the infirmary, I was gonna attempt to head back up towards the rooftop to get some air. I decided against it though because I didn't want to risk running into unwelcomed company. So instead, I chose to take a spot on some stairs that were far from anyone's sight. I sat down on the stairs and sighed while running my hands through my hair.

Staring down at my feet, I began to ponder everything that had happened to me all the while I was under Laito's "supervision".

The first thing that had popped into my head, was Laito giving me my first sexual experience. The mere thought made my face glow bright red and my stomach turn thinking of where he had touched me. Not to mention how my body reacted. I felt so gross and violated and it was all his fault. It feels as if he took something from me. I wasn't sure if it was my pride or my chances of experiencing something so intimate with my future loved one. He even stole my first kiss. I hadn't even realized how much that would mean to me until I realized that he had stolen it.

I was so thankful that I hadn't seen him all night because I wouldn't be able to face him nor be able to withstand his presence. I reached for my bag and opened it up pulling out my phone. I flipped it open and contemplated on whether or not I should text Yui to see if she could skip a class and sit with me while I battled with these off the wall emotions. I really needed the company but I didn't want to bother Yui with my nonsense. Was I really gonna ask Yui to skip class just so she could comfort me? Yui says that I'm strong but why do I feel so pathetic right now.

I snapped my phone shut and then let out an aggravated groan.

"I'm so stupid..."

While I rested my face in my hands, I began to hear footsteps. They started out light but then seemed to be coming closer. At first I thought that it was coming from downstairs and that someone was on their way up but I turned my head upward hearing that it was indeed coming from above. Someone was coming down the stairs and in my direction!

Thinking it was a teacher, I got ready to jump up and head off to hide somewhere but I froze when I began to hear a soft yet erie singing voice.

 _"Are you going to Scarborough fair~_

 _Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme~_

 _Remember me to one who lives there~_

 _For once, she was a true love of mine~"_

As the footsteps got closer, the singing got more within earshot. I almost didn't recognize who's voice it was until they finally met me on the stairs. I stared up and met some innocent yet sleep deprived eyes. The tired baggy eyes met mine and seemed as if they weren't gonna break contact with mine.

Putting an end to this staring contest, I found my voice.

"Kanato..."

My voice cracked a bit when I said his name. I guess it came from nervousness but I hadn't even realized that I was nervous in the first place. I mean he is creepy and frightening as all hell, but so are all of his brothers. Yet I got the feeling that Kanato was a special kind of creepy. The air he carried, was mostly nightmarish and less weird.

I rubbed my hands on my knees feeling how sweaty and clammy they had became all of a sudden.

"Hm...you're Yui's friend."

I couldn't help but jump a bit at the sound of his voice breaking me from my thoughts. He noticed how fidgety and jumpy I was and let out an amused chuckle.

"Teddy, she's just as twitchy as Yui. They have so much in common and yet so little. Right Teddy?"

All the while he spoke to the bear that he was hugging close to his body, I was slightly quivering in my seat. This was so chilling. More so than when I'm usually around one of his brothers. Watching him converse with the inanimate object as if it was actually alive, was sending chills down my spine in the worst way.

I didn't know what to do, so instead I attempted to make conversation.

"S-so Kanato, you skipping class too? I mean I'm not exactly skipping class, j-just you know...taking a break. Getting a bit of a breather. Did you leave class to catch some air as well or..."

Soon as I noticed that I had been rambling on, I slowly came to a halt in my words. Kanato only stared at me as if he was trying to process everything that I was saying. I wasn't even sure if he was gonna respond to me, so I stared at my feet and sighed. I could feel his eyes on me as I sat waiting for something to break the silence that was between us.

Not wanting to stick around with him any longer, I got ready to get up and leave, but then Kanato suddenly sat next to me on the steps. The unexpected closeness instantly caused me to become as still as a doll. Kanato didn't seem to care that I was clearly uncomfortable with him sitting so closely to me. If anything, I'm sure he was enjoying how uneasy and anxious he was making me.

Then without warning, his head then casually made its way onto my shoulder. As he laid his head on my shoulder, he then began to hum. The tune he was humming sounded like the song he was singing just moments ago. I swear, Kanato couldn't get any creepier than he was being right now. The very brief thought of pushing him off of me went through my head but I cast aside that idea right away. Unlike myself, he seemed completely content with this position and I wouldn't want to sour his mood. He continued to hum the soothing yet eerie tune to himself as he held onto his bear tighter than before.

"You...um...have a lovely voice."

What did I just say? I hadn't even realized I had said it until it left my mouth. Soon after that compliment passed my lips, Kanato stopped humming.

Okay okay don't panic, I'm sure he was just caught by surprise with me praising his voice. That's all.

I felt the weight of his head leave my shoulder and then he looked at me.

"Heh...Thank you. Would you like to hear me sing some more?"

The surprise on my face was evident at his proposal. I wondered if he was serious, but by looking at him patiently waiting for my answer, I knew that he was.

"Sure...I would love that Kanato."

His lips curled in a small smile as he stood up. I looked up at him and saw that he had his hand reached out towards me.

"Teddy needs some fresh air. So I'll sing for you on the roof."

The roof? Now that I think about it, this stairway led towards the rooftop. Then that means that Kanato was coming down from the roof already right? I stared at his hand obviously hesitant on grabbing it, then I asked him a curious question.

"But weren't you already on the roof? That's where you were coming from right?"

Kanato's small smile then disappeared from his innocently looking face.

"Yes but now Teddy wants to go back. Let's go or else..." Kanato grabbed my hand and tightly gripped onto it making me wince in pain.

"I'll make you sing for me instead."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that but it was definitely a threat of some kind. I couldn't help but try and back up as far as I could go but I couldn't distance myself from him too much with his hand gripping mine. I knew I shouldn't have asked but it was just a simple question. He had no reason to get all upset about it. Maybe he didn't like the fact that I had questioned him in the first place. Well whatever the reason for his irritation, my hand was paying the price.

"I-I'm sorry, I was only curious. Let's go up to the roof..."

There was a total switch in his facial expressions. He went from ghostly threatening, to bone chilling and childlike. With the "help" of Kanato, I was pulled up from my seat and he began dragging me up the stairs. I made sure I grabbed my bag before he hauled me up like that. The whole while, he still had quite the death grip on my hand. I thought he was gonna break a finger or two.

"Kanato...can you please let go, you're hurting me..."

Clearly ignoring me, he continued to pull me up the stairs. We soon made it to the doors that led to the roof. Kanato had finally released my hand and turned to look back at me.

"Teddy wants to go and sit there."

Kanato had pointed towards the fence which surrounded the rooftop.

I frowned at where Kanato, well Teddy, wanted to sit. Did he want to sit on the ground? Not wanting to question it, I simply began following Kanato as he walked towards the spot he pointed at.

Not saying a single word to each other, we sat down with our backs against the wall. Putting down my bag off on the side of me, I laid my hands in my lap as I occasionally peeked at Kanato out of the corner of my eye. He wasn't saying anything, only patting his bear's head with a ghostly smile on his face.

"Um, Kanato?"

At the sound of his name being called, Kanato slowly came to a stop with his movements. He then turned his attention from his bear to me. Then his eyes seemed to have lit up a tiny bit as if he just remembered something.

"Right. You wanted me to sing for you. Is that right?"

I wanted to tell him that it was he who insisted on singing to me but I held my tongue and decided not to correct him. I'm sure that it would only anger him.

"Yes, that would be nice."

His lips then curled in a cruel looking smile then he let out a tiny chuckle. The way he was looking at me had risen many red flags. That moment right there I was considering just jumping up and bailing but knew I wouldn't even make it to the exit in time, so I just sat still while staring back at him.

Kanato's gaze then turned to his bear and he leaned his head down putting his ear closer to the bears invisible mouth.

"What's that Teddy? You think she should give me something in return? I think that's a good idea..."

Kanato's gaze then turned right back to me.

All I could do was stutter out a response

"W-w-what...?"

"Teddy thinks its only right that you give me something in return."

The first thing that ran through my mind was the obvious. He wanted my blood. Having them drink my blood is something that I will never get use to. Its painful and feel as if they are sucking the life out of you. Well putting it that way, that is exactly what they are doing.

"Kanato you can't have my blood..."

Kanato's forehead crinkled in genuine confusion.

"Why not?"

"Because...because its a very painful experience for me. Besides, a few of your brothers have already drank from me and I'm so close to falling over. My body can only take so much..."

I know that explaining how I feel and what kind of effects of them drinking from me has on my body is absolutely pointless, but I didn't know what else to say. I know that he's gonna drink from me eventually but it wouldn't hurt to try and sway him.

Kanato sat still only staring at me in return. I wasn't sure if he was actually processing all of what I had just said or trying to think of when to strike and drink my blood.

"Hmmm...So you're saying that you'll eventually die if my brothers and I keep drinking from you?"

Not knowing what to say, I nodded as if my life depended on it.

The corners of Kanato's mouth then curled and he let out a ghostly chuckle. I instantly felt goosebumps rise all over my body.

"If you die...then that means that you get to be a part of my collection."

His...collection? If I die...? Just what the hell was he going with this?

"I collect dolls. I've always been fond of the stillness yet life like appearance. Even though they're so pale in color, their beauty seems to never fade. They're forever a masterpiece in my eyes. Sometimes...I play with them. Teddy and I go to see them everyday to see if any unwanted creature has buried their way inside of them."

I had no idea how erratic my breathing had suddenly gotten. My heart felt unstable and I thought I was going to pass out any second. That was something that I did not want to happen in the least. Seeing his cold dead face would be the last thing that I'd see. I know it.

His talk of his dolls gave me chills beyond belief and I felt myself getting a bit light headed. He's talking as if he wants to turn me into a doll. No that's impossible. There's no way he was serious.

Kanato's hand now had quickly clasped around my wrist pulling me closer to him.

I had no idea what he was planning on doing to me, but whatever it was, I'd much rather have him suck my blood than turn me into a doll.

"K-kanato...I-I thought that you wanted to sing! T-that's why we came up here right? P-please may I hear you sing?"

I had to change his train of thought. I had to say something. Anything to stop him from thinking of killing me.

His grip on my wrist didn't lessen but he did back up a bit putting some space between us.

"I changed my mind. I don't want to sing for you anymore. I want something else. Something sweet."

My blood. Its always my blood.

"Something sweet...?"

Kanato nodded.

"Yui hasn't been able to treat me since she became like us, I'll need a substitute. Surely you won't mind."

Not giving me a chance to breathe a word of refusal, Kanato soon made his way over me pushing me down on the hard ground. My back and shoulders ached almost immediately at the painful impact. Kanato's bear laid sitting upright against the wall where Kanato once was. A crazed smile appeared on his face as he stared down at me. I was sure my whole body was shaking from the rapid beating of my heart. Kanato's eyes grazed all over my body but they eventually landed on my eyes.

"Heh...are you gonna cry? Your eyes are so glossy."

Soon as he asked me, a tear managed to leave my eye and slid down the side of my face. I hadn't even realized that I was tearing up until he brought it to my attention. Why was I even crying? Was it because I was scared? Maybe because I was tired of being treated this way by almost every brother that I came into contact with? Well whatever it was, I hated that I was showing such weakness in front of him. My distress clearly only amuses him greatly.

Kanato then brought his head down towards my face and then I felt a very wet cool tongue slide across the side of my face. The gesture startled me and my eyes went wide as I jerked my head away from his mouth. Did he just lick my tears?

All Kanato did in response to my reaction, was smile even wider.

"I wonder how well your blood and tears would blend..."

As he held my frighten gaze, his fingers wrapped around my wrist and brought it up to his mouth. He started licking lightly at my skin and then began rubbing his cheek into it. Almost as if he was trying to be loving and tender but I knew better.

Each time he suckled at my skin, I couldn't help but jump. I just wished that he would bite me and get it over with instead of keeping me on the edge of my seat while I await the inevitable.

I laid there with a defeated look on my face as Kanato constantly toyed with me by licking and nipping at me. My plain expression on my face seemed to have caught his attention because he then let go of my wrist letting my arm drop. Next thing you knew, I felt his fingers grab my hair and wrench my head to the side exposing my neck to him. I let out a yelp in surprise and pain.

"Are you ignoring me?"

My face twisted in pain as he pulled even tighter on my hair. I was expecting a patch of it to be missing once he let it go. That's if he let it go at all.

"K-Kanato please..."

"So you were ignoring me. Why? Oh I get it, you're ignoring me because I didn't sing for you?"

Kanato was now very close to my ear and I could feel my ear ringing as he raised his voice yet again.

"Answer me!"

Not knowing what else to do, I said that first thing that popped into my head.

"I wasn't ignoring you, I swear...I just...I'm just scared of you..."

The anger in his face had dissipated and was replaced with a sinister yet curious looking smile.

"Scared? Heh, now that I really look at you, you look even more beautiful with those petrified eyes of yours. Would you like it if I forgave you for your rude behavior?"

Not knowing what else to do, I eagerly nodded hoping that was the proper response to his question.

Kanato only tilted his head to the side and let out a grunt of disbelief. I didn't know what that meant, but I had a feeling it was nothing good. This boy was beyond difficult to read. If I thought Laito was confusing, that's nothing compared to Kanato. Not too long ago he seemed to behave like an innocent curious child that wanted attention but now he's acting like he could tear me apart any second. Its like Kanato had a switch that seemed to be constantly going back and forth unsure of what setting it should be on. It was hard to handle and pinpoint when he'd flip. I had to try and be prepared for whatever reaction he would give me. That was the hard part. I couldn't prepare because of how random it was.

His chuckle snapped me from my thoughts and then next thing you knew, he let go of my hair then went to grab my arm again. All the while staring me in the eye, he rolled my sleeve exposing more skin, then he brought my arm to his mouth and then bit down. The bite was expected but at the same time so sudden. I was never prepared for the pain that came with it nor will I ever be. Kanato was like a greedy child not wanting to waste a single drop. As he drank from a vein in my arm, a small droplet of blood managed to escape his mouth and slid down my arm. Watching him as he casually drank my blood from my arm was an odd experience. I still couldn't fully believe that this was now a constant reoccurring situation in my life now.

As he continued to suck at the wound in my arm, I felt my whole arm almost become numb. I bet once he let go, I wouldn't be able to fully lift my arm. With one last gulp, Kanato slowly pulled away from my arm and stared down at me with a blood smeared smile.

"You taste better than Yui. Much better. So sweet and yet so hot. You really would make a lovely addition to my collection. You'd be my rose in an encased glass, like in _Beauty and the Beast_. Would you like that?"

I could barely comprehend what he was fully saying. I was so tired and eager for him to get away from me. It didn't seem like he took much but I felt him suckling quite hungrily, so I know it was plenty to make me feel as if I had lost all feeling in my arm. Kanato began licking at the two holes in my arm and even dragged his tongue up and down my arm where there was a trail of blood. He cleaned up the mess he made along my arm and then let it dropped to my side. He then leaned down coming closer to my neck. It seemed that he wasn't done and was intent on trying my blood from another spot. Right before his fangs could penetrate my neck, we both turned our attention toward someone yelling in our direction.

"Hiyori!"

It was Yui.

Yui ran over towards us and quickly went to tug Kanato off of me. Kanato fell to the side on his bottom while glaring daggers at Yui.

"Kanato what did you do! Hiyori? Please be okay..."

After Yui got Kanato away from me, she bent down and pulled me up into a sitting position. She grabbed my arm and took a look at it.

"Hiyori can you stand? Come on, let's go sit on the bench."

As Yui helped me up, Kanato stood with his Bear in hand. He was seething. I could've sworn I saw steam coming out of his ears. That's how angry he appeared.

"How dare you! I'll kill you for that!"

Kanato's tantrum of a tone startled me to full attention and I looked back at him as Yui guided me to a comfortable spot on the bench. Yui didn't seem bothered by Kanato's threat, if anything, she seemed to act like this was an everyday thing. All the while she tended to me, Kanato continued on with his yelling and wild lines of killing the both of us.

"Just ignore him, he'll be fine eventually."

Yui told me as we both sat down. Yui held my arm and looked at the damage that was done. Her face scrunched up clearly upset that this has happened yet again. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the wound. I let out a hiss of pain as the material touched my very tender and painful punctures. As she treated my marks, I couldn't help but wonder...

"How'd you know I was up here?"

Yui looked up at me and then looked away bashfully.

"I uh...could smell your blood. I just followed where it was coming from."

Oh yeah. Yui was a vampire, so of course she has heighten senses. Sometimes I felt myself forgetting that fact.

"Um Yui? Thanks..."

Yui shook her head.

"Don't thank me. Goodness had I not gotten here Kanato probably would've done much worse."

Speaking of Kanato, I looked over at him as he still stood there glaring at Yui and I. For a second I thought that he was gonna lunge at us or something but to my complete shock, I saw a few tears leave his eyes. He was crying? Just a second ago he was spouting death threats at Yui but now he's crying as if he's just gotten scolded. Talk about mixed moods.

"Kanato, you and Teddy should go. Why would you do something like this? You know she's a very dear friend to me. Had you done worst, I would have been very angry with you."

Yui's stern yet passive tone seemed to have gotten through to Kanato a bit because he dried his eyes and then frowned. She spoke to him like a child. That seemed to be the only way to fully get to him apparently. At least if Yui was the one doing the talking. Kanato held his Bear tight to his chest and let out an angry huff while walking towards the exit.

He stopped though as soon as he got to the open doors looking at Yui.

"Yui?"

Yui faced him with a frown.

"I'll talk to you when I get home Kanato."

And with that, an upset Kanato made his way off the roof and down the stairs. Yui didn't seem like the stern type and yet she handled Kanato's behavior so well. Of course she's lived with them for quite a while, so it'd only make sense that she'd be able to handle certain scenarios regarding the boys attitudes and typical behaviors. Its just a bit surreal to picture her being a bit assertive.

Yui sat with me and treated me until I was beginning to feel a bit better.

"How's your arm?"

I cradled my arm to my body while looking at the barely bleeding bites.

"I can lift it a bit, it just feels a little lifeless and achy right now."

Sighing, Yui looked at my arm and shook her head.

"God Hiyori, had I not made it in time..."

I wanted to reach out and let her know that I was fine but in reality I wasn't. Seriously how much could I take this? This isn't gonna be the last time where I'll be caught alone and brought somewhere just so I could be used like a blood bag. I also can't always depend on Yui to help me or send help. I have to be able to fend for myself a bit better than that, but how? I can't compete with their strength. There's no way I can. For a split second, it crossed my mind that maybe I shouldn't associate myself with Yui anymore and that would probably solve my problems. I know that it wouldn't fix anything so it'd be pointless but also I didn't want to tarnish my friendship with Yui because of what they do. Yui isn't responsible for that, they are. Besides Yui has been trying her hardest to keep me as safe as she could from them. Unfortunately, that help could only go so far because as soon as I'm alone, that's when they take full advantage. Yui can't always be there, so that means that I'm gonna have to grin and bear it until I figure out how to fight them off on my own.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

To think that all I had wanted to do was go somewhere to clear my head and look what happened. I can't even try to escape my thoughts of distress without running into a Sakamaki situation. I got attacked by Kanato and may have not survived had Yui not came to my aid. Yet again. I'm honestly so tired of being the damsel in distress. I could only fight them off as much as I can but sooner if not later, that wasn't gonna be enough anymore.

Yui had insisted on staying with me until I felt better but I urged her to go to all her classes as I went to the infirmary to rest. Fortunately this time, there was indeed a nurse present. When the nurse first saw me, her eyes practically bulged out of her head. She said that I looked pale and tired. I couldn't exactly tell her that I was being drained dry by vampires off and on, so I instead told her that I suffered from severe Anemia at times and it unfortunately got somewhat worse during the weekend. Of course she believed me and made me lie down while she gave me a couple of sulfate pills and a cup of water. Before I took the pills, she gave me some small crackers to go along with it. I downed all of what she had given me and next thing you knew, I was dozing off on the small bed.

By the time I had woken up, classes had already been over and most people were on their way home. I didn't wake up in an empty room though, I pried my eyes open to see Yui by my side clutching her bag ever so tightly to her chest. She must've been eagerly waiting for me to wake up for a minute. I slowly sat up while rubbing my eyes.

"Yui..."

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure if I had anything to say. Just looking at how sad Yui looked made me immediately want to comfort her but I wasn't sure if I should or not. I already knew that she was blaming herself for what happened. She always thinks its her fault for what they do. I can see why she'd feel the need to take responsibility for their actions but I just wish she wouldn't. She thinks if I wasn't associated with her, then I wouldn't have to go through this but I don't plan on bailing. I'm gonna stick through not only for Yui but for myself. For once in my life, it wasn't boring. Even though the events that have been taking place with the Sakamaki's aren't exactly fun but minus all that, I'm left with Yui. She at least makes up for all of that. My time with her overshadows all of the bad that has been happening. I needed her to know that.

Before I could voice my thoughts, Yui had spoken up.

"Hey. I came by as soon as my last class was over. I just had to see how you were fairing."

I cleared my throat then shook my head dismissively.

"Oh I'm fine...sort of. Soon as the nurse gave me some medicine, I went straight to sleep. I actually feel a bit better but I'll feel even more better when I get home and eat something else. I'm starving after that whole ordeal, I feel as if I could anything right now."

I chuckled a bit while giving Yui a small smile. I was trying to make light of the whole thing because I saw how upset Yui was. Yet she didn't crack a smile at my small attempt to make her laugh. Instead, she only sighed while taking a seat on one of the nearby chairs. She sat in her seat looking as if she was trying to figure out how she was gonna start a conversation. Whatever was on her mind, she was clearly struggling with how to put it together. I didn't know why but I felt very anxious at that moment.

After a brief silence between the both of us, Yui eventually opened her mouth.

"Hiyori I think we shouldn't be around each other anymore."

I knew it wasn't gonna be something good but it still bothered me nonetheless. A frown appeared on my face as I stared at Yui in disbelief.

"Yui, distancing yourself from me isn't gonna change anything. I mean...you're just gonna make this decision on your own?"

A look of uncertainty crossed Yui's face as she considered my words.

"But ever since we've met, nothing good has come of it. You're suffering because you're friends with me. I can't be selfish and want to keep you around me knowing that your life is pretty much in danger. Hiyori what if Kanato had killed you?"

With the cold hard reality Yui dropped on me like that, we both sat still in silence. I knew she was right but it wasn't fair of her to make that choice on her own.

"Yui I see what you're saying but didn't you tell me that I was stronger than I thought? Didn't you say that I wouldn't let Laito conquer me? I thought you had faith in me to be able to bear through it all. Did you not mean that?"

Yui nodded her head.

"Of course I meant what I said but Hiyori you can't..."

I felt myself starting to get a little riled up.

"I can't what? Fight them? Of course I can. I may not be as strong but at least I can try. I thought you wanted a friend. I thought you wanted to be my friend."

We both stared at each other with sad eyes until we looked away from each other. Yui wasn't being fair and she knew it. She could at least consider what I may think about her decision. I understand why she feels that it'd be best if we were no longer acquainted, heck its crossed my mind as well, but I had decided that that wasn't the right thing to do. I wasn't gonna cut off ties with Yui because I was scared of her companions. I was gonna continue on being her friend and maybe even come to know and understand her way of living. I've even thought about giving the Sakamaki's a chance despite all they've done to me.

I turned my gaze back to Yui and saw that she seemed to be battling with her thoughts. Whatever she was planning on saying next, I had to prepare myself and get ready to take whatever she was going to say in stride. Yui eventually brought her eyes up and met mine. She took a deep breath with a look of confidence on her face.

"Ever since I became a vampire, I've had to become accustomed to a vampire's lifestyle. It...it wasn't easy but I was able to pull through because I wasn't alone. I never wanted to admit it, but I was scared deep down of losing my human side. Like what if I forgot how to feel emotion or what if I become enable to fully feel human again. I felt that...having a friend would remind me that I was once human too. That I will never change even after becoming a vampire but bit by bit, I did feel myself changing and I didn't like it at all."

I stared at Yui taking in all of what she was telling me. Yui hasn't opened up to me fully yet, so I was taking in everything she was saying and thinking about it piece by piece. Yui saw that I wasn't going to interrupt her, so she continued.

"So that's when I decided to attempt to make some friends. It all seemed to go well but then those who were supposedly my friends only wanted to use me in order to get closer to them. I've told you this before but what I didn't tell you was that I was alright with it. Even though they weren't trying to be my friend, the imaginary thought of them being a friend was nice. If that somehow kept me still feeling like the old me, then I would be okay with being used."

Feeling the sudden need to comfort her, I swung my legs over the side of the bed attempting to stand but Yui held up her hand stopping me.

"You don't have to get up. I wanna tell you these things so that you can understand me a bit more."

Yui let out a sigh and continued.

"Time had went by briefly and things were going relatively fine. Then one day, I came to the conclusion that that wasn't right. It was selfish of me to want the idea of a friend but none of them were the true definition of what a friend should be."

Yui frowned recalling all of what she was revealing to me.

"I worked up the courage to tell my "friends" that I knew they were using me to get closer to the Sakamaki's and that I didn't want to be around them anymore. Of course they didn't deny it and didn't care at all that I was hurting, but least I felt better. Having no friends was better than having fake ones. But then you came along and that changed. It hadn't been my intention to befriend you but to be honest, you kind of reminded me of myself a bit and I felt a little drawn towards you."

I slowly got up from the bed and made my way over to Yui. She made a move to help me when she saw me stumble a bit but I brushed off her help with a shake of my head. I stood in front of her with my arms folded.

"Yui, you don't need to force yourself to have friends in order to still be who you are. You may be a vampire but you're still you. You're still Yui. You don't need me or any other person in order to feel human. You laugh, you cry, and you care. Plus the fact that you're willing to put distance between us in order to protect me is proof enough that you still very much have a big heart in you. Besides, you should know that I've accepted you as you are anyways. Whether you're a human, vampire, demon or any other supernatural being, I'll still be there for you. So will you keep having faith in me?"

Yui's eyes had begun to water as she nodded in response. She blinked to keep her tears from falling and smiled.

"Hiyori..."

I looked around for some tissues and handed a few to Yui.

"So Yui don't go around thinking that you're gonna make a decision like that on your own. The day we stop being friends, is the day I marry Laito."

I shivered at my words. Even though it was a jest, it still sicken me to think such a thing. Yui giggled at my reaction to my own words.

"Hmm...maybe you should marry him. That way we can go from being friends to sisters. Kinda..."

My disgusted yet shocking face made Yui turn red from laughing at my reaction to her joke of a suggestion.

"Yui maybe I should take you up on that offer of not being friends anymore."

Yui stood from her seat and we both laughed and hugged it out. I was glad that we had resolved this whole thing rather quickly but I had a feeling that this wasn't the end of the conversation. Yui wants to continue being my friend but she believes that our friendship has consequences. I mean it does but its not like I don't get where she's coming from. Its just that Yui needs to understand that she doesn't need to be my protector. She can't always be there for me and that's what I want her to understand. I can handle myself as best as I can for the time being. Not as good but I won't let any of them do anything further than bite me. She's worried about them one day fatally harming me but I won't let that happen. Besides, they've had plenty of opportunities to kill me but fortunately haven't done so. I'm sure that's mostly because they haven't had a reason to but then again thinking back to Reji and Kanato, I couldn't help but think that they'd be the ones that would attempt to kill me. Be it intentionally or not. I made a mental note to try and keep my distance away from the brothers that I know would do me more harm than the others.

Yui and I had eventually left the nurse's office. She told me that everyone else had already gone home but she asked Reji if he could send the car back to the school to pick the both of us up. Of course he wasn't too keen on the request but much to her surprise, he granted it.

We made it out in front of the school and saw that the limo was already parked out front. That wasn't the only thing waiting for us. We both had quite the surprise when we saw Ayato leaning up against the car with his arms crossed. His posture screamed impatient and it especially showed on his face. We walked up to the car and was greeted with an aggravated groan.

"What the hell were you two doing taking so damn long."

Yui stood in front of Ayato and smiled very visibly happy to see him.

"Ayato you waited for me?"

Ayato let out a huff of air and turned his head away from her. I could've sworn I saw a small tint of pink on his cheeks but I'm sure it was just my imagination.

"Tch...don't be stupid. Reji was nagging my head off about some bullshit, so I had to run off somewhere. Be grateful that _Yours Truly_ decided to come here instead of anywhere else."

Despite his crude wording and tone, Yui gave him a knowing smile.

"I'm very grateful Ayato. Whether it was your intention or not, thank you."

Yui walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek softly. I didn't expect Yui to do something like that especially with me standing here. I've seen how she reacted with public displays of affection between her and Ayato. Usually she was far from being the one to be okay with public affection. At least nothing too raunchy, in which Ayato would happily take part in.

Much to my surprise, the peck on the cheek clearly caught Ayato off guard and it showed. So to mask his flustered appearance, Ayato wrapped his arm around Yui's waist pulling her snug against himself. A sly smile slid on his face and he brought his face close to hers.

"You're being very bold all of a sudden. All of this boldness better not disappear once we get home, I wanna enjoy all of you tonight."

Whatever Yui was about to say was cut off by Ayato crashing his lips onto hers. Yui clearly was desperately trying to separate herself from him. She wasn't too keen on doing such intimate actions in front of others, which is very understandable. Things like this should be done in private, not in public.

Ayato was aware that I was present but didn't care in the slightest as he kissed Yui deeply. I cleared my throat with the intention to interrupt what was taking place right in front of me.

Finding the strength, Yui finally pushed herself out of Ayato's arms and let out a tired exhale.

"Ayato!"

"What? You started it. You shouldn't have gotten me excited like that. Anyways, hurry up and get in, I wanna finish what you started."

Ayato opened the car door and slid inside. He was so nonchalant about the whole thing. Heck, you'd think he did forget that I was standing here the whole time. Well he pretty much knew I was there but didn't care at all. Yui had to force herself to look at me and when she did, her whole face was as red as it could get. She tried to say something, likely to explain what just happened.

"Hiyori I..."

But I raised my hand stopping her words in their tracks.

"Yui its okay, I don't judge. You love him and whatever you two do with one another is your business not mine."

Yui sighed while shaking her head.

"Thanks Hiyori. For making me feel better and not thinking any less of me. You know I...-"

Ayato's voice cut through Yui's sentence interrupting her mid way.

"Will you idiots get in already! Do you always have to run your mouths?"

Not waiting a second longer, Yui and I jumped in the car while giggling at Ayato's impatient attitude. Once we were in and the door was closed, the car started and we begun riding on towards my house. The somewhat pleasant conversation in the car made the ride much quicker. Yui and I were talking about small trivial things and Ayato would squeeze in a rude and unnecessary remark in between. He even said a few things that made me snicker a little bit. He wasn't trying to make me laugh but when he did, he would call me a moron and go back to brooding while looking out of the window.

We finally pulled up in front of my house. I made sure I had everything while exiting the car. Before they pulled off, Yui made sure to tell me goodbye. I told her and Ayato to have a good night and they drove away. Walking up to the door, I pulled out my key and went to open the door. I was welcomed with nothing but silence, and that was more than okay. Considering what I just went through, I need some time to wind down and relax. I went straight to my room and began to get fully comfortable. I got some clothes out to take a quick shower. I decided against soaking in the tub because I just wanted to get in and get out.

After my shower, I went in my room and lifted my arm to take a look at the wounds that were left by Kanato. The punctures were healing quickly just as I suspected. The marks on my arm were now angry looking bruises. I couldn't help but press down on them only for me to wince at the sudden pain from the pressure.

"Maybe I should put some ice on it."

Choosing to do just that, I put on a simple top and some pajama shorts and went to the kitchen to get some ice to put on it. I got a clean towel and put a couple ice cubes in it and laid it on my arm where the bruises were. With the ice on my arm, I ended up walking back to my room and flopping down on my bed. I fell back on my bed cradling my arm with the makeshift ice pad pressed up against it. Today was a bit more exhausting than usual. Not only did Kanato bite me, but Yui wanted to end our friendship because of it. Well not because of Kanato specifically, but because of what I've been going through ever since me and her became friends. I'm really hoping that this whole thing won't come up again because I don't want to stop being friends with her.

I started thinking about what all she revealed to me back at school. About why she felt like she needed friends. I couldn't help but think about myself. I didn't bother making friends because I felt that making friends would be a distraction but if I made a few, then I'd accept the companionship with open arms. Yet there was Yui, looking for that special kind of friendship but her reasoning was so that she could basically feel herself again. I honestly don't think Yui would ever lose a single part of herself, so she shouldn't have anything to worry about. But then again, she did say that she began to feel herself change. What part of her changed that made her want to remind herself that she was once human? Maybe I should've asked her. I wonder why she bothered sticking around me. Well she did say that she felt drawn towards me. And I mean, I didn't think we'd become so close in such a short amount of time and yet here we are. Talking to each other and spending time together as if we were old friends that ran into each other after a long time of not seeing each other and picking up where we left off. I couldn't help but think back to when we first met in the hallway. She was so helpful and kind to me even though she hadn't known me for long. Maybe it was a mutual feeling we had. Like we just knew we were gonna be great friends for one another. I'm sure I'm just thinking too much into it but it really does feel somewhat special.

Yui wasn't my only friend though. I had Yusuke in my life now as well. I couldn't help the heat that filled my cheeks as I thought about how nice he's been with me also. I feel a strange closeness with him too but not the same as with Yui. I feel as if I was meant to meet Yusuke. He really is a great guy and he seemed to have shown that from the beginning. Kind, funny, resourceful and very friendly. Maybe next time when he comes over, I'll ask him if he wants to hang out. Just me and him. I feel as if I haven't fully been able to get to know him as much as I would like. I've never considered boys in any kind of fashion but when I think of Yusuke, I can't help but think of what kind of boyfriend he'd be. Has he had a girlfriend before? I mean he is the same age as me. Is he? What year in school is he? I really don't know as much about him as I thought. I'll ask him next time he comes over. I couldn't help but get all giddy at the thought. Could it be that I'm attracted to Yusuke?

I laid my hand on my forehead and sighed while tossing to the side.

"I have a crush on Yusuke? No way..."

The sound of my phone buzzing snatched me from my thoughts and I quickly sat up to get my phone. It was buried in my school bag, so I had to get up and dig through my stuff to get it. With my phone in hand, I flipped it open without looking at the ID. I figured it was Dad, and answered clearly happy to hear from him.

"Are you calling to tell me goodnight?"

A very familiar giggle traveled into my ear and sent a chill down my back.

"Well it can be a good night if that's what you want Bitch chan~."

Without thinking, I snapped my phone shut and tossed it on my bed. Staring at my phone, I found myself slowly backing away from it.

Laito calling me out of the blue was truly surprising and had the hairs on arm standing straight up. I haven't heard from him since I spent the night at his house and now he calls all of a sudden. I really was not expecting that. My phone started to ring again only this time, it was a brief ring which meant that I had a text message. Of course I knew it was Laito, so there was no reason for me to answer it. I watched as my phone lit up a couple more times until it finally stopped. He was one persistent bastard. I probably had at least five messages from him in that one sitting. Maybe if I pretend that I don't have a phone for the time being, I'll forget all about him contacting me. I went from recalling good memories with Yusuke, to Laito ruining my night by calling my phone. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his disgusting offer of providing me with a "Good Night".

I left my phone sitting on my bed as I walked out of my room with the intent of going in the living room.

But before I could make a single step into it, the sound of the tv turning on stopped me in my tracks. I knew that it was a huge possibility that that was Laito sitting in my living room at that moment. The image of him lounging on the couch flipping through channels flashed in my mind and I felt myself slowly begin to back up towards my room. But then...

"You know, I wouldn't mind playing cat and mouse with you~."

Laito's playful tone stopped me from backing up any further and I stood still considering whether or not I should just bail for my room and barricade the door. But much to my own surprise, I instead walked forward with my head held high and into the living room. Laito never turned around but my eyes burned in the back of his head. Just as I had thought, Laito was on the couch casually watching tv. Of course he knew I was behind him, so I didn't bother trying to sneak up on him. Even had he not known that I was behind him, I had a feeling that he'd know anyway that I was right behind him.

He stopped flipping through the channels and landed on a program that appeared to be discussing things about Tougo Sakamaki. He stared at the television with a blank expression. I couldn't tell what he was possibly thinking as he looked on at the host talking about how amazing and astounding his father was. His blank expression had then appeared to look on in distain at the program. I felt the need to ask him what was the matter, so I got closer and closer until I was standing on the other side of the couch. Laito's eyebrows rose at the sight of me and smiled a toothy grin.

"You've surprised me. I didn't think you'd offer yourself to me. Becoming more daring are you~?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the couch, leaving a wide enough space between us. He seems fine to me. My minor concern was definitely a waste on him.

"Laito what are you doing here?"

Laito looked at me as if I should already know the answer.

"I came to see you of course. You've been avoiding me ever since that moment we shared."

I narrowed my eyes in his direction and folded my arms.

"I've been avoiding you for that very reason Laito. I'm still angry with you and would rather not want to see you. Now I want you to get up and leave."

Laito snapped his finger and smiled.

"Oh I know why you're upset, its because I was with those girls isn't it?"

My jaw had might as well hit the floor. He thinks I'm upset over those girls? No no. He thinks I'm jealous because he was with his group of thirsty fangirls? Obviously that was far from the truth.

"Are you truly insane? Of course that's not the reason! I could care less about who you spend your time with."

"Deny it all you want but I saw how you we're looking at me when those girls came around. Well don't you worry, those girls are just my usual past time. All you need to know..."

Laito moved closer to me and cupped my face sweetly.

"Is that I only have eyes for you."

I stared in his eyes trying to see if he really meant what he said but underneath his glittering eyes, I can somehow see something ghostly and empty behind the shine of his eyes. He didn't mean it and yet at the same time its like he wanted to mean it. Or he wanted me to believe he meant it. What was he even looking for with me anyways? His intentions with me are somewhat obvious yet at the same time I have no clue what he intends to do with me. Of course he toys with me but where is all of that coming from? What is he hoping to get out of all of his interactions with me? I'm sure sex has crossed his mind but that will never happen. If he wanted to indulge himself, he can happily do so with any of those small minded girls but not me. I will refuse him until the day I will no longer see him. He has so many other girls and I'm sure women as well that would gladly service him and his lustful needs, so why waste his time on me? Its an answer I know I will never receive nor figure out.

I reached up and pulled his hands away from my face.

"Laito will you stop talking like that. For goodness sake, you said you hated me but now you're talking to me as if you never uttered such words to me. What are you looking for? What is it that you want?"

For a split second, I thought I saw a look of uncertainty flash across his face but it seemed to had cleared up so quickly, that I just left it as nothing more than imaginary. Just for that short second, I thought that maybe something was about to open up from his end, but clearly I was wrong.

Laito sat back a little and looked around. Almost as if he was trying to check to see if anything was out of the ordinary.

"I see your Father isn't home." He clapped his hands together.

"Oh that's right, our Fathers are on a business trip together. Which means..."

Laito closed the space between us yet again and had managed to force me on my back as he stayed suspended over me with his hands on the sides of my head.

"You're here all alone~."

I laid my hands on his chest stopping him from closing in any further.

"Laito w-wait...what are you doing?"

A knowing look in his eyes sent my heart in a rapid rhythm of beats. "I think you already know darling."

I couldn't hide the look of horror that showed up on my face. If he means what I think he means, then I have no chance of fighting him. He'd have his way and that'd be the end of it. This isn't right. I wasn't ready and I didn't want it to be with him. I'm suppose to give myself to my future loving husband, not some bestial vampire that'd suck me dry.

Laito studied my horrified face and smiled.

"Hm? I haven't seen you this frightened before. Just what is going through that mind of yours?"

Just barely getting out any word, I managed to answer him as best as I could. "Of course I'm scared. You're gonna...you're about to..."

Laito cocked his head aside, seemingly confused.

"I'm gonna do what?"

Then his eyes lit up as he figured out what I was trying to say.

"Oh you naughty little minx~. You're anticipating such a thing? Why I had no idea that you'd want to, but I'll gladly give you what you want."

Laito brought his face closer to mine intent on kissing me but I stopped him yet again by pushing him as hard as I could away from me.

"No stop...!"

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. But only the first time."

Finding the strength, I was able to fully push him from on top of me.

"Laito I said stop!"

Laito had fallen onto the floor while looking up at me as I fully sat up. With a sigh, he got up off the floor and straightened his hat which was lopsided from being pushed on the floor. I stood up from the couch making sure to put some distance between us.

"Laito we need to talk."

Laito watched me as I walked into the kitchen. I got a glass and got some water from the sink. I felt parched all of a sudden and I just had to moisten my dry throat. I had quite a bit to say to him but I'm sure I would be wasting my breath trying to talk some sense into him. I don't see myself ever being friends with him especially with how he behaves with me, but I can at least attempt to be the mature one in this situation.

Laito made his way towards the counter and perched himself on top of it sitting oh so elegantly.

"Oh do we? Talk about what darling?"

I gulped more water and sighed deeply.

"Talk about...us. Look Laito, I've been trying to be civil with you but its clearly doing no good. We're gonna be seeing each other a lot because Yui is my friend and you're also acquainted with her. I just want things to be normal between us. You're constantly harassing me and I'm both tired of it and confused, so I'm gonna ask you and I'm hoping you give me an honest response."

Laito cocked his eyebrow as he waited for my question.

"Do you...um...god how do I ask this without you taking it the wrong way? Why are you so interested in me when you have so many others to satisfy you? I'm as plain as they come and yet you do nothing but give me your undivided attention. Why?"

He seemed to be thinking about my questions but I could also tell that was trying to weasel around a few of them. After staring at me for what felt like forever, Laito sighed and then a small smile appeared on his face.

"Of course its because I want you. You're not the first challenge I've had Bitch chan, so don't over estimate your worth."

I frowned at his statement and got ready to tell him off but he stopped me as he went on to continue with what else he was about to say.

"Although I will honestly say, that there is something...different about you. Something that has piqued my interest more so than I thought."

Laito hopped down from the countertop and sauntered his way towards me. His eyes stayed on me the whole while as he came closer and closer to me. He stood in front of me as I tilted my head up to meet his eyes. As he stared down at me, I couldn't help but feel both flustered and uncomfortable. Laito lifted one of his hands and brought it up to my face.

"I don't know what it is, but I know what I want."

Laito's lips met mine and I quickly went to push him away but he held my arms tight in between us so that I wouldn't get away. He was holding me closer now with no space in between us whatsoever kissing me deeper than ever. My heart started to race a bit and I had no idea why. Much to my surprise, Laito pulled away and looked down at me clearly amused at how I reacted to his kiss.

"Hmm, you look as if you're about to drift away~."

I shook my head and rubbed the back of my hand across my mouth. I tried to glare at him but every time I attempted to, my whole face would burn. I couldn't even look at him because I was appalled at how I seemed to enjoy him kissing me. After clearing my head, I stepped away from him and turned my back to him. I really couldn't look at him. I'm sure my face was burning and I refuse to let him see me like this. I folded my arms while half looking over my shoulder at him.

"That's another thing, you need to stop just randomly kissing me. There's nothing behind it, so don't do it!"

Laito had seemed shocked at what I had said and he appeared to turn serious. For a second, I thought that I had hurt his feelings or something but then I reminded myself that I could care less whether or not I hurt his feelings. More like his pride. He clearly isn't too keen on being rejected but that's life. Not everyone is gonna be willing to fully give themselves to him and he needs to accept that fact as difficult as it may be for him.

"Nothing behind it? But there is."

Coming up behind me, I felt Laito wrap his arms around my body holding me closely to him. He placed his chin on my shoulder and inhaled deeply, smelling me. His mouth was leveled with my ear and I could feel him breathing softly against my ear. My skin tingled as the gentle breeze of his breath blew across my outer ear. I couldn't tell whether or not I was uneasy by what he was doing or actually not minding how good his arms felt around me. Something was telling me to pull out of his arms but then a voice in the back of my head would tell me to enjoy it while he was being somewhat of a nice guy. What was he doing to me?

"You wanted to know what it is that I am looking for right? Well Hiyori, I was hoping that you'd help me."

"H-Help you...?"

I could barely utter a word without jittering like I'm outside on a cold day.

"Yes. You see, I want to experience a special kind of love. A love in which I can feel as if I could give you my all. Mind, body and soul. You are the key to helping me find that."

My heart clenched at Laito's confession. It sounded as if he really meant it and I was unsure of how to respond. I wanted to be flattered but at the same time, I didn't know if I could trust his words. He's put on a front more than once, so I shouldn't let his false words stir anything in my head or heart. He was holding me tightly yet quite gently at the same time, that I actually felt like I could give him a chance. Laito turned me around to face him and I saw that serious look in his eyes had not dissipated.

"Hiyori, you want to know what I want? Well, I want you to accept my love for you and give me a chance to win your heart?"

I stood there with my mouth open but no words coming out. I couldn't believe it. Was Laito serious? If he was, then I'm absolutely shocked. I mean, I was just confessed to for heaven's sake and by Laito of all people. His so called confession could be nothing but a ploy to have his way with me. There was always that chance but even knowing that, why am I actually pondering the idea of accepting his confession. After all the things he's done to me, such a thought shouldn't even cross my mind. I sighed and closed my eyes getting ready to give him an answer. But before I could give a response, Laito wrapped his arms around me again and pulled me close to him while burying his face in my neck. I could feel him shaking a bit and I began to worry. Perhaps he was scared that I would reject him or maybe he's preparing himself to be shut down. I placed my hand on his back attempting to comfort him.

"Laito I...I don't know what to say. Don't be upset, I'm just surprised. If you give me some time to give you a proper answer, then maybe-..."

The sound of a small snicker stopped me midway of my sentence. Then I had realized that Laito wasn't shaking because he was scared, he was shaking because he was...laughing? Quickly trying to pull away from him had been futile, because as soon as he noticed that I had caught on to his petty act, he held me tighter than he had before, ensuring I wouldn't escape so easily. With his face still buried in my neck, Laito continued to chuckle and speak while his voice was muffled.

"Oh you are a pleasant treat bitch chan. Hahaha! I don't think I've been so amused in my life. You're so precious~."

My face twisted in anger and I clenched my fists tight contemplating on whether or not I should punch him or not. He had been playing with me. I actually believed him. I'm so stupid. No not stupid. I'm a gullible naive fool that actually thought that he opened up to me and felt so kind of way about me. He's here laughing at me.

"Why? Why would you do that?! I actually...I thought you were finally opening up to me and you just put on a show to kick up a laugh!? To hell with you! Let go of me!"

I wiggled and wiggled trying to get him to loosen his grip but the feel of his fangs piercing my neck put a stop to my movements. He only did this so I could let my guard down and so he could get a drink from me. He was a monster. An absolute vile and merciless monster. The lowest of the low and I'm an absolute moron for letting his words move me in any kind of way. Of course I suspected his words to be folly but I gave him the benefit of a doubt and look what happened. I stood still as Laito sucked and licked at my blood. I could feel him moving from one spot to another as he bit down again. I winced and whined in pain as he indulged himself on my blood. He was sucking harder than usual and I felt myself getting a bit scared. I was thinking that he was drinking too much but then again, him sucking my blood was always too much of an experience for me to handle. I felt my knees get weak and I almost buckled and fell but Laito had a strong hold on me. My head was forced to the side as Laito's head stayed in the crook of my neck. Laito's moans of satisfaction made its way into my ears and I shivered at the fact that he was getting some kind of pleasure from feeding from me. My eyes started to flutter close but I refused to pass out. Not this time.

What felt like an eternity, Laito had finally stopped and let out a satisfied sigh. My neck ached in pain from both the bite and the uncomfortable position my body was in. I just knew that I was gonna have a cramp in my neck later. Even though I was dizzy out of my mind, I managed to stay steady and lean against the nearest wall. I was breathing heavily and had my eyes closed to ease the dizziness.

"I must say that you taste sweeter than before."

I groaned completely ignoring Laito's words. I was boiling on the inside from what just happened. Laito had played me for a complete fool just so he could take my blood. He'd do anything to get his fill, even if that meant toying with an innocent heart. I found my way to the couch and plopped down while holding my neck. I could feel how hot it was without even touching it. It was burning. Like really burning...? I sat up quickly and touched the wounds and it felt as if someone was taking a hot iron poker to my skin.

My sudden movements caught Laito's attention and he stared at me as if he was trying to figure out what was happening.

"Bitch chan?"

Ignoring him completely, I gathered my tired form and bolted for the bathroom. Looking in the mirror I saw why my skin had suddenly felt as if it was on fire. The bite wounds were closing up and healing. The pain that came with the healing had never happened before, so why now.

I looked on as the marks slowly but surely closed all the way. There would usually be a bruise left behind but there was nothing but the smoothness of my skin. Like there was never an injury there at all.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused me to whip my head around to see who it was and to no surprise, it was Laito. I don't know how long he'd been watching but I'm sure he's gonna start asking questions soon.

Before he could speak a word, I opened my mouth.

"Um, did you...see that?"

I knew that he had but I just had to make sure. There could be a chance that he didn't see and then I could probably come up with something to explain why I was behaving strangely. Unfortunately for me, it appeared that he had indeed seen what had just occurred. Laito looked on with his eyebrow raised and his eyes following over my neck. I couldn't exactly tell what he was thinking, so I just stood there waiting for him to respond.

"Was I not suppose to see that?"

Not knowing how to respond to that, I simply averted my gaze and stared at my feet. I heard Laito click his tongue and looked up at him. He was shaking his head while smiling.

I frowned.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, just remembered something. I had an enjoyable experience bitch chan, Hopefully we'll be able to have such fun again?"

In the blink of an eye, Laito was suddenly in front of me. Caught off guard with his sudden speed, I backed up into the sink bumping my hip on the corner of it. I held his gaze with a frown.

"Don't count on it. Now get out of my house."

With one last smirk and a playful peck on my nose, Laito was gone. Standing there with a tired look on my face, I turned towards the mirror and looked at my neck.

"Okay. I definitely need to tell Dad."

Coming to that conclusion, I left the bathroom and headed straight to my room to rest. So much for relaxing as soon as I came home. Laito ruined that opportunity just by being here and a lot more. As I laid on my bed and pulled the covers up over me, I began to think about what Laito had said as I dozed off. Even though he didn't mean it, I still couldn't help but feel a bit flattered. His words were false but the thought was somewhat nice. Somewhat.

 ** _~lllllllllllll~_**

Sleep came pretty easy for me last night. I didn't toss and turn nor did I feel exhausted from Laito drinking my blood. Usually I'd feel drained and numb but not this time. Whatever the change was, I wasn't gonna question it too much. All that mattered was that I was feeling pretty good and I would take advantage of this small burst of energy.

Getting up out of bed, I headed straight to the bathroom to clean myself up and throw on some everyday clothes. I thought about calling Yui and seeing if she'd like to come over but then I remembered that I had wanted to make plans with Yusuke. I didn't even realize that I didn't have Yusuke's phone number, so I just had to hope he'd drop by today.

I made me a quick breakfast consisting of toast, eggs, orange juice and a couple slices of bacon. I turned the tv on as I ate my food. The news said that the weather would be nice for the rest of the week and I was looking forward to it. Once I was done with my breakfast, I cleaned up my mess and then laid out on the couch in the living room. I thought about texting Yui, but that would mean that I'd have to get up and go get my phone. Something I didn't feel like doing at the moment.

Laying on the couch, I stared at the tv spacing out completely. Thinking about last night, I let out an annoyed groan.

Laito saw my healing ability and I wasn't sure if I should be worried or not. I mean its not like he'd tell anyone right? And who would he tell? Why would he tell? He wouldn't benefit from spilling the beans on me. Unless he would. After he saw his bite marks heal quickly, he looked as if something had just crossed his mind. I wish I had pushed him further on his questionable behavior after seeing what I didn't want him to see.

The sound of knocking made me sit up from my spot. I felt myself perk up, already knowing who was at the door. I got up and headed towards the door and opened it with a smile.

"Hey Yusuke."

Yusuke smiled in return and I gestured for him to come inside. This was good timing. I was just starting to get a bit lonely. He and Yui seem to have a knack for knowing when I'm in need of company. Plus I needed to see a friendly face after what Laito put me through last night.

Yusuke took a seat on the couch.

"Hey guess what. I came over to tell you some good news."

Perking up, I hurried and sat next to him ushering him to reveal the good news.

"You know how I told you that I would be going back to Ryoutei?"

I nodded already knowing what he was about to say.

"Well...I go back tonight. So we'll definitely be seeing each other more than we have already."

The happiness on my face was so obvious that Yusuke couldn't help but laugh at my excitement.

"Wow this is great! Now I have two friends that I'm going to school with. Things really are looking up."

Yusuke frowned curiously.

"What do you mean by that? Did something happen?"

I didn't mean to let that remark leave my mouth but it already had. I wasn't sure if I should ruin the moment by telling Yusuke about Yui's and I first argument. Or the fact that Laito had broken into my house yet again to have a quick sip.

But Yusuke's concerned face just made me want to tell him so that he wouldn't need to worry.

"Oh nothing major. Just me and Yui had a small disagreement yesterday at school. We're fine now, but I suppose its still weighing on my mind."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you two fight about?"

I hesitated, unsure of how I should explain it to him without revealing too much. I smiled half way and let a small laugh.

"Well...its a bit hard to explain. You know...girl stuff and all..."

It'd be great if I could open up to Yusuke more but telling him that I'm associated with vampires and that I'm on their menu as sustenance, is a bit hard to lay on the table.

Yusuke looked as if he wanted to ask further but decided against it. It was clear that I didn't want to discuss it at the moment and he gladly understood not pushing it any further. He did however reassured me one thing...

"Hiyori if you need to talk to someone, I'll gladly lend you my ear. I don't know what's been going on, but I have a hunch that you've been having a bit of a hard time since your father went out of town."

Giving him a grateful smile, I nodded.

"Thanks Yusuke but I swear I'm fine. If there's anything that I need to get off my chest, I'll call you."

Then something clicked in my head and it showed, causing Yusuke to give me a questioning look.

"Yusuke I just realized that I don't have your number. Would you like to exchange numbers?"

Without waiting a second longer, Yusuke and I had exchanged contact information.

"It hadn't even occurred to me that we didn't have each others number. Well now that I think about it, I've been coming over unannounced seeing you all the time, so that's probably why we didn't think about having each other's number."

That's definitely true. I've been seeing him a lot as it is, so its never crossed my mind to call him and whatnot. This is great though because this only truly shows that my circle of friends is becoming wider. I smiled at Yusuke.

"Not trying to get all sappy here, but you and Yui really have made things brighter for me. It wasn't even that long ago that I was such a shut in and now my life has become more lively. I still can't believe it."

Yusuke laid his hand over mine.

"Hiyori..."

Turning to look at him, I had realized how close we were sitting and I instinctively scooted away with flaming cheeks. Clearing my throat, I quickly went to change the subject.

"So Yusuke, other than telling me the good news, what brings you over here today?"

Yusuke nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Well I was wondering if maybe you'd like to hang out today. Like go out and do something."

Talk about coincidence. I was actually going to ask him the very same thing. In hopes of getting to know each other better. Anytime that I've been out, was with Yui and although it had been more than fun, I haven't spent any time with Yusuke. He's my friend too, I shouldn't leave him high and dry as if he doesn't exist. I've invited him before though to hang with Yui and I, but he wouldn't be able to. Now was different though. He was free and I was as well, so might as well enjoy it.

"You must be a mind reader because I was going to ask you the same thing."

The surprise on his face was evident and he looked less worried.

"Really? Glad I beat you to the punch then, because that means I get to decide where we go."

"What? Don't wanna go to a girly cafe with me?"

Yusuke laughed. "You wouldn't do that to me would you?"

Playfully putting a finger on my chin, I pretended to consider the notion.

"Well it would be entertaining watching you be the only boy there, but no I wouldn't dare."

I gave him a wink.

Shaking his head, Yusuke ran his hand through his hair.

"Well anyways don't worry, I'm taking you somewhere fun."

"Can you give me a hint of where?"

"Well let's just say its something that's a mixture of things."

So much for a hint. I shrugged and stood up from the couch.

"Well then it's settled. When are we leaving?"

Yusuke stood.

"I was hoping we could leave in thirty minutes. The sooner we leave, the more time we have to enjoy the day until school tonight."

Nodding, I got ready to run to my room to get ready but I stopped mid sprint and turned to look at Yusuke.

"Um, would you rather wait here or head home? I'm just gonna get changed but if you rather wait at home..."

Yusuke shook his head dismissively.

"I'll just wait for you here. Besides, I'm too lazy to go back to my house."

Yusuke sat back down on the couch and started flipping through the channels on TV.

I laughed as I went to my room. Looking through my closet, I was trying to hurry and find something causal but also cute. Its not like this is a date or anything, but I wanna at least dress nicely. I have no idea where we're going but I'm sure a casual outfit would suffice just fine.

After at least ten minutes of going through my clothes, I decided on some washed jeans shorts and a long sleeved, blue plaid button up top with a white tank underneath it. Not wanting to leave my hair down, I decided to just put it in a ponytail with a bang hanging off on the side. Checking myself out in the mirror, I gave myself a thumbs up and went to slip on some tennis shoes.

Exiting my room, I came across Yusuke watching a show that he appeared to seriously be into. I didn't recognize it. I liked my fair share of animated shows but there were certain genres that didn't tickle my fancy. Like the one Yusuke was watching. There were robots with giant swords and a lot of explosions. Well I just learned something new about him I suppose.

He was so into the tv that he didn't even notice me come into the room.

"Just what on earth has you glued to the TV like that?"

At the sound of my voice, Yusuke turned around with a smile on his face. Before he could say anything, he seemed to have given me a quick once over. Taking in my appearance, he looked very pleased.

"You got all dressed up for me? I'm touched."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"Oh please. And besides, this..." I gestured my hand down my body.

"Is not dressed up. This is as simple as I can get."

He chuckled and then gave me a warm smile.

"You're far from simple Hiyori."

Unable to stop my face from heating up at his comment, I hurried to the door to grab my bag and keys.

"I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible. We can't do that if you're stuck on the TV."

Yusuke switched off the TV and got up to meet me by the door.

"Okay okay. Let's go before you lose your patience."

We headed out and I made sure to lock the door behind me. I couldn't help but get this strange feeling in my gut. It wasn't a bad feeling, just a feeling I wasn't familiar with. Maybe I'm anticipating a good time and couldn't help but be excited. Well whatever it was, I know it wasn't something to dread.

~llllllllllllll~

Yusuke surely wasn't kidding when he said that we would be doing a mixture of things. Pretty much everything we did was something I'd never done before. First he took us to this Arcade that was infamous among the students. I couldn't fully get into it but with Yusuke being there, he made my blunders more fun than embarrassing.

"Gah! Y-Yusuke how do you do this? Which handle is it? Oh no they're killing me!"

Yusuke couldn't help but laugh at my inexperience gameplay. As he took joy in my expense, he was playing the competitive game as if it was nothing. Each enemy was eliminated before they got even a few feet near him. It was impressive.

"No fair. You've played this game before."

"Actually, this is my first time playing this game. You just aren't quick to understand the rules and controls."

I couldn't help but puff my cheeks at his observation.

"Let's play a different game."

More than happy to comply, Yusuke led me towards a fighting game in which he claimed that I would do much better in.

"Don't worry. You don't really have to strategize with this one. I'll even let you pick me a character that you think looks weak."

I gave Yusuke a light punch in the shoulder. He pretended to be in pain while holding his shoulder.

"Ow. You don't seem like the violent type."

"Hmpf, well you're about to find out. Come on let's go! And don't try to be a gentleman and hold back!"

Minutes later, I ate my words. Yusuke was absolutely ruthless with me. He really didn't hold back.

Other than losing every single game that I played, I had a great time at the Arcade. The place wasn't crowded considering that all the school kids were, of course, attending school during the day. There were a fair amount of adults there but they weren't rowdy or anything. Now that I think about it, I think I was the only loud one in there. Before we left, we came across a claw machine near the entrance. It was full of many cute and cool stuffed animals. Some of them even being miniature characters from various Animes.

Yusuke took notice that I was eyeing quite a few of them and gave me a couple of coins to give it a shot.

"I hope you realize you're just wasting your money on me Yusuke. I've never done this before."

Yusuke laid a hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Have some faith. Don't worry, I'll give you some tips on how to control the claw. Its actually easy once you come up with a plan."

Feeling a bit more confident, I placed my hand on the red ball, which was the control for the machine, and inserted one of the coins Yusuke gave me. The whole machine had lit up as soon as the coin went in the slot. The sudden start up startled me a bit and I turned to Yusuke in confusion but he only gave me a reassuring smile and pointed to a button that was next to the joystick.

"That's used to bring the claw down and pick up a toy. Press that red button when you think you have a good shot."

I nodded and focused my attention back on the machine. I had my eye on a purple stuffed bunny and maneuvered the claw directly above it. The claw was dangling high above the toy and then thinking I had a good aim on it, I pressed the button. The claw opened up and slowly went down towards the bunny. The claw hooked itself around the toy and then pulled up. It managed to grab one of the ears but then it slipped out of the claw's grasp and back into the sea of stuffed toys.

"Oh no, I almost had it."

"Its okay, just try it again. I'll help this time. Here."

Yusuke had stood even closer to me. Our shoulders were touching and he was leaning over me a bit to reach the joystick.

"I'll control the claw and I'll tell you when to hit the button. Okay?"

"Y-yeah..."

I couldn't help but feel all warm in the face at how close he was me. Had he always been so tall? I've never noticed how tall he really was until now.

"Ready?"

I nodded and moved my head to the side a bit in hopes that he didn't see my now heated face. What is wrong with me? Yusuke's my friend. That's all. A really good friend that's been nothing but sweet to me.

Yusuke began moving the claw and I watched as he carefully looked for the right position to snag the bunny. I couldn't help but sneak glances at his concentrated face. He really looked focused on what he was doing but I could also tell that was having fun at the same time. Finally settling on a proper spot, Yusuke told me to press the button. Pressing it with a fast smack, the claw made its way down and snatched up the stuffed animal. The claw managed to grabbed the bunny's leg this time. Yusuke and I lit up in delight at our success but had stopped our celebration midway when we saw that the bunny almost slipped from the claw. The claw finally made its way over to the shoot to drop my prize.

"Yusuke you did it!"

I turned to him to give him a double high five. He slapped his hands against mine and entwined his fingers with mine.

"We both did it. Told ya it was easy."

Yusuke held onto my hands longer than I thought and I quickly let go of his hands. I reached down to get my prize from the machine. It really was cute.

"Yusuke this is really cute. Look at the ears and feel how soft it is!"

I couldn't help but squeeze it and rub my face into it. Yusuke laughed and shook his head at my childish behavior.

"You're like a little kid. People must think you're my sister or something."

I stuck my tongue out him and stomped off away from him. I could hear him laughing at me from behind and I turned around.

"Let's go. You said you wanted to take me somewhere else. Is it something else competitive?"

Shrugging, Yusuke simply exited the Arcade and waited for me to follow up behind him. I ran up behind him and tugged at his shirt stopping him in his tracks.

"Well?"

"Not telling. If I tell you, you'll back out."

With an eyebrow raised, I folded my arms.

"If you don't tell, I'll back out anyway."

Yusuke poked the middle of my forehead forcing my head back a bit.

"You won't back out because you're too curious. Besides, you've been having fun so far, what makes you think the next place is gonna be any less fun?"

He had a point. Even if refused to go, it'd still weigh on my mind on where he was gonna take me.

"You got me there. Alright fine, lead the way kind sir."

Yusuke brought me to this bright and colorful place. There were pictures of famous singers and neon mics plastered all over the walls of the establishment and I had a pretty good guess of where we were.

"Yusuke, I am not singing."

"Aw come on at least give it a try."

I covered my face in my stuffed bunny not wanting to be here.

"No way. I've never sang a day in my life, its gonna be embarrassing..."

"Hiyori its not like you're performing for an audience, its just me. I'll go first and to make you more comfortable, I'll pick a silly upbeat song."

I frowned.

"How would that make me comfortable?"

"Well maybe not comfortable, but you'll see how fun it is. Please?"

Yusuke had the nerve to put on puppy eyes and I felt myself giving in.

"Fine fine, but when its my turn you have to promise not to laugh."

Raising his hand, he made a cross over his chest.

"Cross my heart. Now let's go so that we can get a good booth."

Grabbing my hand, Yusuke pulled me along and we both hurried inside. When he had a firm hold on my hand, I could feel how soft and warm his hand was. A smile had crept onto my face as my eyes lingered on him. I didn't even notice how long I had been staring until Yusuke called my name.

"Yeah? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you were feeling well? Did you want me to take you home?"

"Oh no no I'm fine, just thinking about how fun its been today."

I could tell that Yusuke wasn't sure of my answer but he let it go and made our way to our booth. The booth was small but big enough for Yusuke and I. I'd never been to a Karaoke bar before, so this whole thing was new to me. Yusuke seemed more than excited to pick a song and grab a mic. The song he picked was one I'd heard before but didn't know who sang it. As the lyrics started scrolling on the screen, Yusuke was already singing along. It was fun watching him get into it and even I couldn't help but dance a little in my seat. I was actually very surprised that he didn't have a bad voice. If this was him singing for fun, it makes me wonder how he'd sound if he sang seriously.

I stood up and applauded his performance.

"Wow Yusuke, you almost got a perfect!"

Yusuke bowed and handed me the mic.

"Now its your turn."

I hesitated a bit before I grabbed the mic. There's no way that I'd be able to sing in front of Yusuke. The most I've done is hum or whistle a tune while I was occupied doing everyday things but singing?

I light push from behind brought me closer to the screen. I turned around to give Yusuke a sour stare but he only gave me a quick thumbs up and a cheerful smile.

Sighing, I went up to the screen to find a song I somewhat recognized. Finding a song I thought suitable for me, I clicked on it. The music started up and I began swaying a bit where I stood.

A few minutes had went by and the song was over. I looked at Yusuke and saw that his mouth was open as if he was in shock.

"Hiyori just...wow."

My whole face was red and I smiled awkwardly.

"Told you singing isn't my thing."

"I couldn't agree more." Yusuke said as he was trying not to burst with laughter.

"But at least...pffft...you tried..."

"Oh you think its funny?"

I tossed the mic aside and folded my arms while pouting.

Yusuke brushed off his laughter by clearing his throat.

"No no...I just got something stuck in my throat."

"Like what? Giggles?"

Yusuke no longer able to hold it in, exploded with laughter. Tears were even coming out of the corners of his eyes. After a while, I couldn't help but began laughing myself. There was no way I could be upset because I knew the outcome. I couldn't sing and I knew that Yusuke would try to make me feel better about it. Even though he's doing more laughing than trying to console me.

We left the Karaoke bar and had planned to go somewhere to get something to eat but it was close to sunset which meant that school would be starting. It had been a fun day with Yusuke and it'd be great if we can do something like this again. Only we'll have Yui with us this time. That's if Ayato is fine with her being out with a guy that wasn't him anyways.

Yusuke walked me back home and we stood in front of my house.

"Told ya that you would have fun."

I smiled gleefully and nodded.

"I most certainly did. I'd never been to an Arcade before nor a karaoke bar. When I tell Dad, he's gonna think someone replaced me."

"Hopefully we'll do more things that are new to you because I really enjoyed spending time with you."

My heart started beating at his words and I ran my fingers through my hair out of nervousness. I needed to relax. Yusuke doesn't see me as anything else, so I need to stop getting so worked up over his friendly remarks. Friends say stuff like that to each other all the time right? Well I only recently just got friends, so how would I know. Is there a difference in how someone talks to their friends versus how they talk to someone that they may be interested in? Of course it is but heck I wouldn't know. Other than Laito, I hadn't had a single boy interested in me. At least not to my knowledge.

Smiling, I simply nodded.

"Me too. Its um...fun. Like really fun. I'll see you at school I guess."

I turned around a little bit too quickly, and practically ran to my front door. Before I could go inside, Yusuke called out to me.

"Hiyori you almost forgot this."

Yusuke held up the purple stuffed bunny we had won together. I turned around and went back up to him to retrieve my stuffed animal.

"Thanks Yusuke."

He handed over the toy and we stood there holding each other's gaze until the sound of my phone ringing snapped us out of it. I blinked to bring myself back to reality and reached in my pocket to get my phone. After fumbling around for longer than a few seconds, I finally grabbed my phone. I flipped it open and saw that it was Dad.

"Hi Dad."

"Hey sweetheart, I was calling to tell you that I'm coming home tomorrow evening. Not sure if I'll see you before you leave for school but in case you're not there, what would you like me to get for dinner? Anything you want."

"Oh Dad it can be anything that you're in the mood for."

"So sushi?"

I perked up when he suggested sushi. I hadn't had sushi in a while, so I more than happily agreed.

"Yes!"

Dad laughed at my over the top reaction.

"Okay okay, so sushi it is. See you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay. Have a safe trip. Love you."

"Love you too."

The line ended and I looked at Yusuke. I had almost forgot he was there.

"Sorry about that. Well, guess I'll see you in a little while."

Yusuke gave me a smirk like smile and shrugged.

"Right, see you at school. We could walk together but I have to leave a bit earlier than you to take care of something at school. I took a leave of absence for some months, so there's gonna be a lot of paperwork and whatnot."

I nodded.

"Yeah I bet. Well I'm gonna get ready, see you."

Toy in hand, I waved as I walked towards my door. Yusuke waved back as he began to walk away and head on home. Making it inside, I let out a sigh while leaning against the door. That felt so awkward. Its like we both wanted to say something but nothing came out, so instead we settled for small idle chatter. I ruffled my hair in frustration at my conflicting thoughts. Maybe I could ask Yusuke how he feels about me. What am I talking about, of course I know how he feels about me. He told me he saw me as a friend and that he liked spending time with me. There was no reason for me to think anymore than what I was told by him.

Slapping my cheeks to snap me out of it, I stepped away from the door and went to my room. I tossed my phone on bed and sat my bunny on top of my dresser then adjusted its ears. It really was cute and I'm glad that I had it. My very first stuffed animal and it was Yusuke who gave it to me. I felt my heart fluttering again and I laid my hand on my chest to calm myself down.

"Ugh, what am I doing? I need to get ready for school."

I went to my closet and pulled out my school uniform laying it on my bed. I grabbed my towels and then hurried in the bathroom.

Done showering, I dried off and wrapped my towel around my body. As I was about to put my clothes on, my phone let out a short chime. It was a text message. Hopefully it was from Yui and not Laito. He's the last person I want to hear from right now. I grabbed my phone and opened it seeing that the text was from Yui.

"Would you like a ride to school?"

I texted back within seconds.

"Yeah. I have something great to tell you!"

Yui didn't take long to text back.

"Can't wait to hear :) see you in a few."

I texted her back with an Okay and I put my phone down I quickly put my clothes on and went to fix my hair. I decided to pull it up in a high ponytail today instead of wearing it down. I made sure I had everything in my bag and gave myself one last look in the mirror before heading towards the kitchen. I barely had any time to make a quick lunch, so I just decided to get something from the school store around lunch time. Right when I was about to slip on my shoes, my phone had rang. After I got my shoes on, I reached in my pocket and got my phone. It was Yui telling me that she was outside already.

Not wanting to keep them waiting any second longer, I hurried and exited the house, not before locking the door. The car door had opened and I was happily greeted by Yui.

"Good evening Hiyori."

Yui slid over to let me in and I slid right on in along side her. Without even sparring anyone else a second glance, I greeted her first.

"Evening Yui. Evening everyone. Thanks for the ride and sorry for the trouble."

The only response I got from some of them was a grunt or I was just flat out ignored. Minus Laito giving me a lecherous smile of course. But it didn't matter to me because I was actually in a pretty good mood and nothing was gonna ruin that. I have Yusuke to thank for that anyways. I felt that last night had officially gone downhill for me and there was no coming back from what transpired between Laito and I. The pain and embarrassment I felt after his little joke really bothered me to the core. Fortunately Yusuke had came and picked up the pieces.

"So Hiyori want to tell me why you're beaming right now?"

I put my hands on my cheeks feeling myself get all warm in the face.

"Am I really...? Seriously?"

I began fanning myself with my hands and I heard Yui giggle at my reaction.

"Yes really. What happened? Why in such a good mood?"

Not being able to contain myself, I smiled widely.

"First things first, Yusuke comes back to school tonight."

Yui's face stretched into a smile.

"He does? That's great Hiyori."

Ayato let out an aggravated grunt at Yui for getting excited over another boy. Yui only gave Ayato a reassuring side glance and he continued to sit with his arms folded and his eyes focusing on the outside.

Ignoring Ayato's jealous behavior, I continued to spill to Yui.

"Another thing, Yusuke and I went out earlier today. It wasn't a date or anything, just us having fun and getting to know each other is all. I thought about inviting you..."

"Oh no I'm glad you didn't. I wouldn't have wanted to interrupt your date."

I rolled my eyes and shyly looked at my feet.

"I said it wasn't a date, just us hanging out. I mean Yusuke and I haven't gotten to know each other fully since we met. I didn't even have his number until earlier today. Nor do I know how old he is."

Yui raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Wow and you've known him how long?"

"Yeah I know its crazy. I just never thought to ask any of that. We get along so well, that it feels as if I already know him even though I don't. Its strange if you ask me."

Yui shrugged and gave me a gentle shove with her shoulder.

"Sounds to me like you like him. And from what I've seen, he likes you too."

I couldn't help but cover my face and squeal a bit at Yui's assumption. My odd noise actually irritated a certain someone and I ended up getting scolded.

"If you're going to behave like this, you can walk from now on. Such an absurd reaction isn't necessary."

Reji's cold comment did shut me up but it didn't dampen my happiness in the slightest. Yui and I gave each other a look that basically said, "Let's wait til we get to school." As much as I wanted to tell her everything, I knew that it'd have to wait until later. We finally pulled up at the school and I couldn't wait to get out so that Yui and I could talk a bit before class started. We unloaded from the car and like always, girls began surrounding the car like a pack of hungry hyenas. Only this time, everyone waltzed on pass the girls as if they didn't exist. Even Laito, much to my surprise. He's usually one to enjoy the attention but not this time. Suppose he didn't want to be bothered. Laito not wanting to be entertained by pretty school girls? Yeah right. Yui, Ayato and I were ahead of everyone else as they took their time walking. I couldn't help but peek back at Laito only to see that he was staring at me. Just staring with a small almost unnoticeable smile. I turned my head back around to face the front and rolled my eyes.

What was that all about? Weirdo.

Yui and I talked about my day out with Yusuke all the way up until we got to our lockers and then up to our first class together. Kanato and Laito headed towards their seats sitting quietly as usual. That is until one of the girls in class approached Laito and began flaunting herself at him. You'd think she was gonna pounce on him or something. I couldn't help but cringe every time she spoke to him in a sickly sweet tone while she flipped her locks. Not to anyone's surprise, Laito began flirting back with her and even stroked her cheek with the back of his hand as he spoke such niceties to her. You could tell how special she felt at the attention he was giving her. You also could see other girls in class glaring daggers at the girl. These girls are absolutely spun crazy over these guys and they don't even know their true colors. Such a shame.

It made me sick to my stomach but that sickness was cleared up as Yui and I continued talking my time with Yusuke. We were laughing as I told her about my first time going to a karaoke bar.

"You sing?"

I shook my head while groaning.

"No way and Yusuke had to find out the hard way."

Yui giggled while wiping tears from her eyes.

"Oh I wish I could've been there. I got it! Let's go there together some time."

My eyes went wide and I was very quick to turn down the idea.

"No way, I don't think so! You want me to scar you?"

We were both dying laughing at this point and I continued to tell Yui about Yusuke. How we had fun at the Arcade and how that also was my first time going there. Now if she wanted to go to the Arcade together, then we can do that but not singing. When I told her about the bunny Yusuke won for me and she practically swooned over out of her seat.

"Hiyori that's so sweet. You sure he doesn't like you? He's showing some signs."

I shrugged and began playing with a hang nail.

"Well...I don't know. I'm not an expert on this stuff, so how would I know."

"Well how do you feel about him?"

Before I could answer, the bell had rang and everyone was gathering into their seats. Yui and I got settled while Laito and the girl was finishing up their "conversation".

I wanted to ignore them but it was quite difficult when they both were so close to me while acting like horny rabbits.

"Laito san~, you shouldn't say stuff like that. I have a boyfriend you know~."

She had a boyfriend!? The shock on my face caused Laito to smirk in my direction. He knew I was observing almost the whole exchange between the two and was very much enjoying my reactions.

Laito tilted his hat while chuckling softly under his breath.

"Do you? Such a naughty little thing you are, but I suppose that only shows how fun you are. If you want, we can play somewhere more discreet~."

Without hesitation, the girl nodded and then hunched over him like a harlot to peck Laito on the cheek. With a cutesy wave, she swayed her small hips back to her desk and sat down.

Yui wasn't paying any attention to what was happening. I'm sure she was more than use to it and god help her, she's probably seen some messed up things regarding Laito. There's no telling how many times she probably walked in on him or any of the other brothers. That made me wonder if the rest of them are like that? I mean they're vampires. I'm sure they've had their fair share of partners, so it shouldn't be surprising. I hadn't even realized that I was staring at Laito for so long until he giggled.

"Upset that I'm not giving you any attention?"

I scoffed disgustedly.

"You're repulsive."

Laito gave me a lecherous leer.

"You sure know how to get me going don't you~."

With that, I turned my attention away from him and got out the essentials I needed for class. This class will go by quicker if I just ignore Laito.

Ms Nakayama walked in as usual greeting everyone and nonchalantly explaining what we would be discussed during class.

"Alright everyone before we get started I'd like to introduce a new student. Well not necessarily new but new to some of you. You can come in now Nanaba."

Did she just say Nanaba? Yui and I looked at each other utterly confused. Does this mean what I think it means?

I soon got my answer when the doors slid open and in walked Yusuke. He walked in and stood in front of the class waiting to speak. There were a few students in class that whispered among themselves at the sight of him. Maybe some of them knew him from before he left school. I mean Yusuke did say he attended Ryoutei but left for a while.

Ms Nakayama slapped her hand on the podium and shushed the class.

"Alright everyone quiet down. Please introduce yourself to class."

Yusuke bowed.

"Yes ma'am. My name is Nanaba Yusuke and I have returned to Ryoutei as of today. I wouldn't want to explain it in detail, but I was absent from school for a while, so some of you may already recognize me."

Soon as he said that, the students began whispering again.

"Who's he?"

"He's that Junior that took a leave of absence. I heard something happened at home."

"He's really cute. I hope he sits next to me."

"Nanaba was on everyone's list when it came to recruiting club members."

"Yeah I heard he was gonna be Student Council President."

The side conversations went on and on until Ms Nakayama slapped her hand on the podium yet again to silence the class.

"Everyone quiet! If you're not quiet, then I'm making you write a two page essay on why its rude to whisper. In English."

Everyone zipped their lips at that last bit and sat up straight in their seats. I looked at Yui and saw how surprised she was. I was just as shocked. Not in a bad way of course. I was more than ecstatic at this. I already knew he was coming back to school tonight but he's got first hour with Yui and me? Things real are looking up for me and I'm really grateful.

Yusuke ignored all the whispers with a smile and looked in my direction. Without thinking, I gave him a small wave and in response, he nodded his head in my direction.

"Alright Nanaba, welcome back. Now take a seat over there in the corner next to the window."

As Yusuke headed towards his seat, all the female students couldn't keep their eyes off of him. Like at all. All of their faces were beet red and they were staring as if he was some kind of exclusive prized item. Despite the attention he was getting from the girls, his eyes stayed on me as he went to his desk. He wasn't that close to me but he was close enough for me to keep in contact with him. He sat down and waited for class to start.

I felt eyes on me and I went to look at Yui and she was looking at me knowingly which made me feel really shy. Not knowing where to look, I looked down at some paper on my desk and waited until the teacher began class.

"Nanaba I know you missed a lot, so I'll work something out with you regarding classwork and such. I'm sure your other teachers already know of your situation but I'll still make sure word gets around with them."

"I appreciate that very much Ms Nakayama. Thank you."

His mannerisms and appearance appears to be winning these girls over. I thought they liked the bad boy mysterious type but maybe they don't have a type. Maybe they just like someone with a cute or handsome face. Either way, Yusuke has just been targeted by each girl in this room. Minus myself and Yui of course.

Once everything had settled down, class had begun to roll in motion. During class I couldn't help but sneak glances at Yusuke as he sat at his desk writing as Nakayama was talking. Of course he was the diligent type, what else kinda student would he be. I couldn't help the smile that eased onto my face at the sight of him. I guess I really am a bit smitten with him and I must admit, it feels nice.

 ** _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

 **Senya-Hime** : You were my first written review and I really want you to know how happy I was to read it. Your love for my OC really shocked me because I was unsure of her. But I'm glad I went with my gut and kept her as she is. Much love.

 **Isla** : Thank you for pointing out and error a while back. I really appreciate it. I usually do try and catch any typos before publishing a chapter but as usual, I always miss them. Maybe your eagle eye will come in handy again :)

 **SmallLittleCagedBird** : Your obvious enthusiasm for my story is absolutely adorable. You definitely don't mind expressing your love for it and I love reading your satisfied review.

 **Greasypimpslap** : Your name is hilarious and I love it.

 **Daimondkiss** : I try to update every 2 months but that depends on idea limit. I hope you continue to read it until its finished.

 **Rachel0424** : Thank you! Your anticipation is very flattering!

 **winchestergirl93** : Love how eager you are for each and every chapter. Not all of them has been to my liking but its nice to see people like you still enjoying the chapters.

 **Giada777** : I'm honored that my Fanfic was the first Diabolik Lover Fanfic you've read. Its crazy to me that you're now interested in the series just by my story. I myself absolutely adore the series and my love for it motivated me to write this story. Well that and there weren't enough stories about Laito. Which is one of my favorite brothers. Also I love your long written reviews and many thoughts on my story.

 **Ana** : Thank you for your long well written review. I also love your opinion on each and every detail in the story. Some of the things you've said is spot on but I won't tell you what is spot on because I wouldn't wanna spoil anyone :)

 **missmie** : Wow you wrote a lot of stories! Thanks for reading mine! ;)


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

After our first class was over, Yui and I got up to go and say hello to Yusuke. He saw us coming towards him and put on a very welcoming smile. Yui and I had barely made it near him when a few girls surrounded his desk and started bombarding him with questions and other meaningless chatter. One of the girls had leaned in close and wrapped her arm around his. She seemed cute enough but her face was caked with blush. With a prestigious school like this, I figure make up to that extent wouldn't be allowed yet here this girl was wearing it as if it was he second skin.

"Nanaba san, which class do you have next? Maybe we're in the same class."

Before Yusuke could answer, another girl pretty much nudged the blush faced girl out of the way forcing her to let go of Yusuke's arm.

"Nanaba san its good to see you again. Everyone missed you so much, especially me."

This new girl was definitely pretty with her bouncy black hair and mature appearance but based on her pushy and rude behavior, she was clearly not acting her age. The mature girl winked at him and I couldn't help but grimace. The girl that was shoved folded her arms and scowled at the one who pushed her.

"Hey don't push! Can't you see we were talking."

The black haired girl rolled her eyes and stomped her foot.

"Oh please, you don't even know him. I on the other hand, know him. Remember me Yusuke?"

Yusuke's puzzled expression made Yui and I giggle. We just couldn't help ourselves. Yusuke was definitely in a bind. He clearly had no idea who the girl was but he smiled anyway while rubbing the back of his head.

"Um, of course I remember you. You gave me a tour of the school when I first started here. Right?"

Much to our surprise, it seemed that Yusuke was right on the money with his memory, because the girl rested her hand on her cheek clearly touched that he remembered her.

"See, he knows me. Now back off."

The two girls continued to bicker back and forth while poor Yusuke stood in the middle. There were other girls eager to get his attention as well but the main two that stood out the most was blush face girl and bouncy black. They we're going back and forth so hard, I thought that I was gonna see some hair pulling.

God these girls were like a pack of hungry animals that hadn't seen food before or something. It was hard to tell if Yusuke was uncomfortable because he seemed relatively calm. Yui and I looked on as Yusuke was pretty much trapped by a circle of girls. I sighed while shaking my head at what was taking place at Yusuke's desk.

"Look at that. How are they not ashamed of themselves? They aren't even trying to hide how desperate they are."

Yui shrugged.

"That's how most of the girls are here. Its quite sad actually. If you think this is bad, you should really see these girls when Ayato and his brothers are around."

My mind drifted to when I first saw the Sakamaki's and the female students reaction to them. Those girls were practically panting like dogs in heat.

"You mean...they get worse than that?"

Yui nodded with a sigh.

"I was targeted of course just by being associated with them. Be it with threatening notes or snide comments, their harassment almost felt endless. Especially from one girl in particular..."

Yui then trailed off and shook her head hoping to dismiss her bad memories.

"Oh well, its in the past now and things have gradually gotten better."

I was about to ask further about her past bully, but I noticed that her eyes were trained on Yusuke as if something had just came across her mind.

"Hmm..."

I turned my eyes to Yui.

"What?"

Yui placed her finger on her chin.

"Who would've thought Yusuke would be so popular."

Yui was right. It was a bit of a surprise. I mean Yusuke seemed like a completely different person around us. He was funny, dorky in a cute way and very out going. Watching him being hounded by those girls was so out of place. A hand being placed on my shoulder caused me to jump in surprise.

"Laito..."

I couldn't contain the low groan as I said his name. Thinking about what he did the night before, still had me feeling more than bitter with him. I hated how he always acted like he did nothing wrong and would carry on so carefree like everything is normal. Whereas myself couldn't fully keep it together because of all the things he's done and said to me. I shook off his hand but then he placed it on the small of my back.

"What has the both of you so distracted? The new student?"

Ignoring him, my eyes stayed on Yusuke who then met my stare in return. He gave me a lopsided smile and half a chuckle. Whether that was him asking for help or not was beyond me, either way I moved out of Laito's grasp and tried to head on over to Yusuke. But then Laito wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"H-hey, what are you doing? Let go."

Laito giggled near my ear.

"Nope~."

Yui laid her hand on Laito's shoulder and gave him a pleading look.

"Laito leave her alone. She's had a rough time because of you, give her some space. At least understand that."

Laito let out a sigh while pouting his lips.

"But Bitch chan..."

Pushing out of his arms, I whipped my head around to face him.

"But nothing. God I wish you'd fall in a hole and disappear. What you did...I just..."

I sighed and turned away from him. He made me so angry. No, angry isn't a strong enough word for what I'm feeling for him right now. I didn't want him looking at me, touching me, speaking to me, breathing around me, nothing. After I inhaled and exhaled, I managed to somewhat calm myself down in order to get my words out. However I wasn't calm enough to hold in my sassy tone.

"Laito I'd appreciate it if you leave me alone and go chase after that girl that was flaunting herself at you. Yui, would you tell Yusuke I'm off to my next class and ask him when he has lunch. I'd appreciate it."

Purposely pushing Laito out of my way with my shoulder, I pretty much stomped out of the room on to my next class. I swear that jerk is beyond infuriating. Does he not get how much he bothered me or something. More like why would he bother me so much? I shouldn't let him get me so riled up like this. Just as Ayato had said, Laito gets a kick out of being a pain, so I shouldn't let him get me so worked up. But that's easier said than done. Its gonna be especially difficult to not let him upset me with that horrible act he pulled on me the night before. I really did feel as if he was finally letting his guard down with me and opening up a bit but it was all just one big gag to him. He would never show his vulnerable side to me or probably anyone for that matter. I slowed down my steps a bit as I began to think about the time he and I spent in his bed. Now that I think about it, he actually has shown a different side around me but he was asleep during those times. Perhaps there was a chance that there could be more to him than what I'm seeing, but that could be a very slim chance of being possible.

While lost in my thoughts, I didn't even realize that I wasn't paying attention and I ended up bumping into someone. Immediately going to apologize, the person had called out my name before I could say sorry.

"Hiyori?"

I rose my eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh Mika, Hi. Sorry for running into you."

Mika brushed it off.

"Its okay. I was wondering what happened to you, I wanted to lend you my notes remember?"

I mentally slapped myself. I had totally forgot about that. Noticing my obvious forgetfulness, Mika smiled and waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm guessing something had suddenly came up?"

I sighed.

"Oh you have no idea."

"Whatever it was, did it all turn out okay?"

The look on my face caused Mika to laugh and I shook my head.

"I can't really say yes but its not a no either. I mean, its better than it was before. Anyways enough about me, let's meet after school in front of the lockers, you can give them to me then."

She nodded. "Sounds like a plan. See you in class later okay?"

Waving goodbye, Mika hurried on to her next class and I eventually rushed on to my class.

 ** _~llllllllllllllllll~_**

Yui watched as Hiyori stormed out the classroom and then turned her sights on Laito with a small glare.

"Laito what did you do?"

Putting on an innocent smile, Laito shrugged while eyeing a few girls that were around Yusuke.

"I don't know what you mean Bitch chan. Care to enlighten me?"

Yui's frown had deepen and she folded her arms.

"She was more hostile with you than usual, did you do something to her? Were you at her house last night? I know you were because you were nowhere to be seen at home."

Laito only let out an uninterested sigh and let his gaze fall on Yusuke. Ignoring Yui's questions, Laito motioned his head in Yusuke's direction.

"Do you know him Bitch chan?"

Yui followed his sight on Yusuke and she nodded.

"I do. He's Hiyori's neighbor and unlike you, he's a gentleman."

Laito offered a knowing smile.

"I can be a gentleman too. Just in...other ways~."

Yui was about to call Laito out on his inappropriate remark but Yusuke had appeared in front of her looking rather worried.

"Yusuke how are you accommodating?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Fairly well since everything is pretty much the same. Um Yui, where's Hiyori? I saw her leave and she looked pretty upset. Is everything okay?"

Yui wasn't sure on whether or not she should tell Yusuke that the reason for Hiyori's sudden sour attitude, was because of the red headed boy right in front of him. Before Yui could come up with something, Laito opened his ever so colorful mouth.

"We had a little bit of a lover's quarrel."

Yui whipped her head to Laito and immediately went to correct him but then Laito continued on with his little game.

"She saw me flirting with a girl in class and got pretty upset with me. I wish she wouldn't get so upset about it, I told her that I was only joking."

Yusuke's face was unreadable at first but then next thing you knew he smiled and then let out a casual chuckle.

"That's strange, she's never mentioned you."

Yui raised her hands putting a stop to this whole made up story that Laito started.

"That's because it isn't true. Yusuke don't believe him, there is no quarrel of any kind between the two."

Yusuke clearly understood that it was all a farce on Laito's end.

"Don't worry Yui, I know it isn't true. You're Laito Sakamaki right?"

Laito tipped his fedora as a greeting.

"The one and only."

"You have quite the reputation among the female students. Even teachers I've heard."

"What can I say, my charm knows no bounds."

Yusuke's face shortly twisted in disgust at Laito's bold confirmation. It was unsure on whether or not Yusuke wanted to comment something else but that was put to rest as soon as Laito turned his eyes on the girl that he was flirting with earlier. She gave him a very suggestive side glance and sauntered out of the classroom giving Laito an obvious hint. Of course without hesitation, Laito casually made his way towards the door but not before turning around.

"Bitch chan, do me a favor and tell my sweet Hiyori that I'll be seeing her soon."

With that being his farewell, Laito left the room following after that girl. Yui placed her hand on her forehead and sighed.

"Yusuke don't pay him any mind. Laito's just..."

Yusuke shook his head while still looking in the direction of the doorway.

"No need to explain, I think I know what to expect."

Smiling, Yusuke directed his attention back to Yui.

"Anyways, I saw you and Hiyori were about to come over but then..."

Yui couldn't help the giggle that slipped from her lips.

"You got attacked by those girls."

Yusuke let out an exhausted groan while looking at the rest of the girls exit the classroom.

"Yeah. So what was it you guys wanted to talk about? To say Hi?"

"Actually Hiyori wanted to know what lunch did you have? Me and her both got fifth."

"I have fourth but I was told that I could probably have that changed. So perhaps I'll end up getting fifth with you guys"

Yui smiled.

"Hiyori would love that. You have her number right?

Yusuke reached in his pocket and held up his phone.

"Sure do. Alright well we need to get to our classes before we're late. I'll see you later."

Yui and Yusuke both grabbed their things and went in different directions to go to their respective classes.

 ** _~llllllllllllllll~_**

With classes finally being over, I couldn't wait to pull out my phone and text Yusuke to see how he was doing. Of course I didn't get a chance to even breath around him due to those horde of girls not giving him any room to breath. I rolled my eyes thinking back to how annoying they must've been to him.

After I texted Yusuke, I got ready to meet Mika by the lockers so that she could lend me the notes for the class I had to leave early for. The hallways were busy with students still standing around and talking with one another. You'd think they'd be more than eager to head home but they instead chose to still be roaming around the halls. After bumping into student after student, I ultimately made it to the lockers. As I was walking up, I saw Mika patiently waiting for me. Soon as she saw me, she had brighten up.

"I really hope you weren't waiting long."

I suddenly felt a feeling of deja vu. Thinking back, this was the first time Yui and I had met up when she wanted to show me around the school. Has it really been that short while ago? It felt weird but not in a bad way.

"Of course not. Here." Mika held out her notebook to me.

"What's important is highlighted but they're all in certain sections because the teacher was discussing like several different things."

I reached out and took the notebook from her.

"Mika I really appreciate the help. Now don't take any offense to what I'm about to say, but don't you think its strange to be helping out someone you just met? Not that I'm not grateful, but why?"

Tilting her head, Mika smiled.

"I don't know, but I can just tell that you're a pretty friendly person. Its just a small urge to want to be your friend or something. I hope I don't sound weird."

I shook my head.

"No not at all. If anything, I'm flattered that you see me as a friendly person. To be honest I'm very surprised that you see that in me because I wasn't one to make friends easily."

She tilted her head to the side in disbelief.

"I find that hard to believe. I mean you were friendly and polite when we first met."

I shrugged.

"Well its only right to be civil. Not to mention you did help me."

She nodded knowingly.

"Hmm you do have a point."

With the both of us laughing, I suddenly heard someone call my name. Recognizing the voice to be Yui, I turned around to see her coming towards us.

This was great because Yui can finally meet Mika. My circle of friends appear to be getting wider and wider without me even trying. I can't help but feel myself get excited on the inside.

"Oh here comes my friend Yui. Mika you have to meet her, she's-..."

I turned back around to face Mika only to find that she had already gone. I looked left and right trying to see if maybe I could see her walking away in the distance but she was nowhere to be found. Well that was odd, I wonder where'd did she go. Before I could question it any further, Yui was already patting me on my shoulder.

"Hey Hiyori, who were you just talking to?"

I put Mika's notes in my bag and made sure to remind myself to return them to her.

"The same girl that helped me before. Her name is Mika and you just missed her. I really wanted you two to meet."

"I'm sure we'll meet one day. Hey did Yusuke text you?"

I looked at my phone to see if Yusuke had responded to my text.

"No. Actually as soon as I left my last class, I immediately texted him. Maybe something is keeping him."

Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to be greeted with a smiling Yusuke.

"Looking for me."

I returned his smile with mine and nodded.

"Yes actually. I've been trying to talk to you since you first came to class but then..."

Yusuke sighed while placing his hand on his head and Yui let out a light giggle.

"I already told him Hiyori, so spare him."

"Yeah she did. Sorry about that Hiyori."

I shook my head.

"Don't be, its okay. It looked overwhelming being surrounded like that. I had no idea that you were so popular."

"I wouldn't say popular, its just...quite a few people ended up spreading my name around so to speak. You know saying things about me that were either not true or exaggerated."

I couldn't help but laugh at how both embarrassed and modest Yusuke was being.

"Oh I'm sure. I'm curious though about one thing. The girl that said you knew her, did you really know her?"

Yusuke scratched the back of his head while chuckling nervously.

"Oh that. To be honest with you I don't think so. Funny thing is when I first started here, there were many female students that volunteered to show me around. Me being me, I just went along with it and couldn't really turn down those girls. Didn't wanna be rude."

Yui and I met eyes and began laughing. Yusuke sighed and shook his head.

"I saw every bit of this school several times in one day."

After wiping a tear from my eye, I pat Yusuke on his shoulder.

"You're just a kind guy Yusuke. I wish there were certain boys around here that would follow in your footsteps."

My mind drifted to Laito on the spot. I felt Yui looking at me, I'm sure she knew who I was referring to.

"Hiyori's right Yusuke, you just have a good heart. Surely though nothing like that will happen again right?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Yusuke began making his way out of the school with Yui and I following up along side him.

"Not gonna happen again. Its not gonna be like before. Any girl that's eager to get me alone, I'm just gonna turn them down as gently as possible."

I nudged his shoulder with mine.

"And if they don't take no for an answer?"

Yusuke cocked his head to the side thinking hard. Then he snapped his fingers.

"Then plan B."

Yui and I shared a glance as Yusuke clearly left us hanging on what his alternative was. Seeing that we wanted to hear more, Yusuke smiled sneakingly my way.

"I'll just tell them that Hiyori's my girlfriend."

I thought my eyes were gonna pop out of my head. My whole face turned different shades of red and I couldn't help but stutter.

"W-w-what!? You can't say that!"

Yui placed her hand over her mouth as she tried to hide her small smile. Yusuke was also trying not to smile but appeared to be enjoying my reaction.

"Why not? I'm sure it'll fend off a lot of them."

Noticing that he was only purposely fueling the fire, I groaned while rolling my eyes.

"I almost hit you Yusuke. Try not to tempt me again."

With all three of us laughing, I heard my phone let out a small chime. It was a text message but from who? I flipped open my phone and felt myself getting agitated just by simply looking at who it was from. Choosing to ignore it, I snapped my phone shut.

Yui noticed how annoyed I looked around snapping my phone shut.

"Is everything okay Hiyori?"

I shrugged while shaking my head.

"I'll tell you later."

I'm sure Yui knew who it was that had just contacted me, simply from my reaction but I'm not gonna get into it right now. Right now I'm enjoying my time with my now two great friends. There are some bright sides I have in my life right now and I intend to let them overshadow my dreadful and stressful times with Laito. I have to not let him ruin moments like this for me.

Yusuke, Yui and I made our way towards the entry way getting ready to part ways and head on home, until one of the girls from earlier in class came up out of nowhere and wrapped her arm around Yusuke's. Stopping all of us dead in our tracks. I noticed that it was the girl with the bouncy black hair. She was the one that pushed that other girl out of the way to get to Yusuke.

Her bold move clearly caught Yusuke off guard and also made him very uncomfortable. I get that he's quite popular and all, but these girls should at least respect his space and simply admire from a d

istance.

"Nanaba san, I was wondering if you need help getting acquainted with anything that you may have missed, I'll gladly be of help."

Yusuke eased his arm out of the girl's grasp as Yui and I looked on with pity etched across our faces.

"As kind as it is for you to offer, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline. I already have some help in that department." Yusuke gave a glance my way causing me to blush a tiny bit.

"But I do appreciate the gesture."

The girl followed Yusuke's eyes and saw that he was looking at me. For a split second, you could see her face twist in a scowl, indicating at how jealous she was. The girl clearly wasn't too keen on being turned down but her upset and envious facial expression was cleared up in an instant with a hopeful yet desperate smile.

"Oh well that's fine. You do know that if you need anything at all, you can always come to me. We have a few classes together, so I'll be available to you then."

The girl then blew him a kiss and gave him a wink, then went on her merry way. Yusuke couldn't help but scrunch up his face at the girl's behavior. He rubbed his hand down face and sighed.

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle and then next thing you knew Yui followed suit.

"You two think that was funny?"

Placing a finger on my chin, I pretended to ponder his question.

"Yes. Very funny actually."

Yui shook her head.

"She seemed persistent, I doubt she's gonna leave you alone. She said you have classes together?"

Yusuke shrugged.

"I don't remember seeing her face. No offense to her, but I don't pay attention to girls like that. I mean its flattering but man is it bothersome. Well I'm gonna get going, gotta head home early and take care of something. Sorry I can't walk you home tonight Hiyori."

"Its okay there's always next time. I'll likely just get a ride with Yui."

Waving us goodbye, Yusuke went on his way. Just as Yusuke was walking off, the Sakamaki's limousine had just began pulling up right in front of me and Yui.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, we both turned around to see the some of the boys walking up to the car. Ayato was in front of everyone else, clearly eager to get to Yui. When he finally was standing in front of her, he placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Oi chichinashi, where the hell were you? Left me waiting around for you. I should punish you for that."

Yui winced as Ayato rough housed her hair.

"But Ayato I told you that I was gonna meet up with Hiyori, don't you remember?"

As Ayato rubbed his hand in her hair as he scolded her, I felt a hand fall heavily on my shoulder.

"Here you are bitch chan~, did you you not get my little message for you?"

I rolled my eyes and shook off his hand.

"I did get it but I'm not falling for your lies."

Laito lifted his eyebrows pretending to have no idea what I was talking about.

"I wouldn't lie to you about that. Especially when you looked so concerned and confused that night."

Laito placed his hand on my cheek.

"I couldn't help but feel the urge to pass on some information."

I scoffed while slapping his hand off of my face.

"Like you'd ever do something like that out of the goodness of your heart. Sorry to offend you, but you aren't the type to do that."

Eyebrows raised, Laito chuckled at my sour attitude.

"Did you miss me that much? Is that why you're in such a fiery mood?"

Laito made a move to wrap his arms around me to pull me into a hug but I backed away from him before he could even touch me. I ended up bumping into something. That something turned out to be a someone named Shu. I quickly turned around and went to apologize.

"Oh Shu...I'm sorry about that. I didn't see you."

I bowed my head apologetically hoping to be forgiven by him but when I didn't hear a response to my apology, I lifted my head and was met with tired yet amused eyes. Not saying anything, Shu sluggishly made his way into the limo.

"Are you expecting us to take you home?"

The question caught me off guard and I turned to see it was Reji who had asked. I didn't even notice he had walked up.

"Oh um, well actually..."

Before I could say anything, Laito seemed to have decided for me.

"She's coming back to our home of course! We have something major to discuss."

"No. No we don't. Stop trying to-..."

Laito then pulled me close to him with his mouth pressed up on my ear.

"Maybe you should take this chance because I may not offer you this kind of help again."

Laito pulled away from me and smiled.

"Its not like we're gonna have a sleepover like last time. Although the idea would be nice..."

With that Laito slipped into the limo with a small chuckle.

Laito was lying. Surely he was lying. Like he really knew someone that experienced the same thing as me. He doesn't know a single thing about my "condition" other than what he saw that night. Why would he say it then? To get under my skin? To bait me into coming over so that he could have his way with me? But it wouldn't make sense for him to do all of this just to get me cornered when many times before, he's found himself right back to me. Either at school or in my home. So why claim to know something like this? Unless he really did know something. If he did, how? Now that I think about it, I shouldn't put it past him or any of his family. I mean, him and his family are vampires. I feel like that alone should make it a possibility for him to maybe knowing some pretty out of the ordinary things. I'm sure they're all use to all sorts of phenomenon with them being vampires and all.

So many thoughts whirling around in my head and it definitely showed on my face because I felt a hand rest on my arm. Snapping out of it, I rested my gaze on Yui.

"Hiyori we'll take you home. If you want we can talk later."

I could tell that Yui looked concerned and wanted to flat out tell me that I didn't have to go to their house but she saw that I was hesitant on my answer. I appreciated her letting me decide on my own and I'm sure she would've been supportive of whatever choice I made.

"We don't have time to wait on your response. Get in or walk."

Reji snapped at me while also giving me an impatient look. Not wanting to waste any more time, I slid inside the car and found myself sitting right next to Shu. He had his eyes closed and was slightly slumped over in his seat. I could hear faint music coming from his earphones and I believe it was classical. I wouldn't put it past me that he listened to that type of genre. It seemed right up his alley. Out of all his brothers, he's clearly the most lax.

Reji soon followed suit and then Ayato right along with Yui. Laito was sitting quite far from me, and that was more than a sigh of relief. Yui was right next to him with Ayato on her other side, so she was sandwiched between the twins. After seeing everyone get settled, it dawned on me.

"Wait where's Subaru and Kanato?"

Yui's curious expression mimicked my own.

"You're right, they're not here."

With a scoff, Ayato sat further back in his seat clearly not caring where his brothers were.

"Who cares, let's go. They know how to get home. Its not like they're babies."

Ayato then chuckled to himself.

"Well now that I think about it..."

Before Ayato could finish his sentence which I'm sure was gonna be followed by an insult, Subaru's voice had cut through stopping his words in their tracks.

"I wouldn't finish that if I were you, unless you want me to kick your ass once we get back."

It was almost as if Ayato knew that the only way to summon Subaru, was to insult him without him being present. I looked out the window watching Subaru approach the car while wiping something off of the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. I frowned wondering what it was but decided not to think too much into it. Soon after Subaru joined us in the car, Kanato was soon right behind him. Clutching his bear close to his chest, he appeared to be relatively calm but I couldn't help but notice some wetness on his eyes. Was he crying?

Yui took notice of this as well and asked.

"Kanato is everything alright?"

Kanato didn't say anything and chose to nuzzle his face into his bear's head. It was obvious that he didn't wanna talk about it, so Yui dropped the topic with a sigh.

With everyone finally inside, the door closed and we were on the move towards my house. I still wasn't sure if I should go back to their home or my own. I had to make a decision before we got close to my house otherwise Reji would be upset with me for changing my mind last second.

After a short while, I came up with a choice.

"Reji? I actually changed my mind. I would like to go back to your home. I'm sorry for intruding yet again."

Reji only stared at me until he adjusted his glasses with a sigh. He then reached above himself to knock lightly on the car's roof. I'm assuming that that was an indicator to let the driver know that they would be heading back to the mansion. I couldn't tell if Reji was annoyed with me or not but regardless of whether he showed his annoyance with me, I still felt bad for being in the way.

The ride to the mansion was fairly quiet with the occasional rudeness from Ayato and crudeness from Laito. Yui sitting in between them didn't make things go any smoother neither. Laito would constantly pick at her and attempt to fondle her right in front of Ayato. I couldn't help but cringe when Ayato threatened to break each of Laito's fingers. Laito of course laughed off the threat as Yui tried to defuse the whole situation. Kanato was still quiet all the while spacing out. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. There was a high chance that Laito was lying for heaven's sake and I knew it yet here I am still being lured by him with his supposed claim of knowing some information about my situation. After tonight, I won't be falling for his tricks. I swear my soul on it.

As I was lost in thought, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I glanced to the side of me and saw that Shu had his eyes halfway open staring at me. We met each others gaze and I felt really uncomfortable. He was staring at me with a look of familiarity. I couldn't help but hold his gaze with curiosity but mostly I felt entranced by him. He really did have beautiful eyes. Although very tired, his eyes still somehow gleamed a lovely blue. Feeling my face burn a bit, I quickly looked down at my feet while feeling my heart drop in my stomach. I didn't mean to stare back at him for so long. He definitely saw my red cheeks. I knew for a fact he did when I stole another quick glance and seen Shu's mouth upturn in a smirk. I knew this was a bad idea.

We finally pull up at their home and unload ourselves out the car. Everyone made their way to the front door in which it opened automatically upon their arrival. That's something I will never get use to.

Making our way inside, everyone pretty much dispersed in different directions going their own way and doing their own thing. Yui however stayed behind with me as Ayato got ready to head upstairs.

"Ayato I'm gonna talk to Hiyori for a while, you go on ahead."

Ayato quickly was against it and a look of exasperation spread on his face. "Hah? Like hell you are."

Yui then pulled the puppy eyes.

"Please? Its important."

Much to my surprise, it seemed to have worked. Ayato let out a grunt hating the fact that he just gave into her.

"Whatever. Just don't take long, or else _Ore sama_ will be pissed at you."

As Ayato marched upstairs, Yui grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living room. We sat down on the couch and I waited for her to start.

"Hiyori, what's Laito done this time?"

Not wanting to hold it in, I spilled as much as I could.

"Laito said that he knew something about...me. I mean that he saw something that happened to me the other night and claim to have known someone under similar circumstances. So my naive self came here to see if he was lying or not. I know it was stupid on my part but I got the strangest feeling that he wasn't lying."

Yui looked at me with an unsure expression.

"Hiyori whether Laito is being truthful or not, you know that he only told you that so that you could come back here for the night. Besides, how would he know anything about your...wait what happened? You said he saw something?"

I nodded while sighing knowingly.

"Yeah."

The look of worry was all over Yui's face.

"Hiyori...what's going on with you?"

Should I tell Yui? Should I tell her about everything that has been happening to me before and after I met all of them? Why should I question it? Of course I should. Yui had entrusted me with her secret, so why shouldn't I? I know she wouldn't judge me but I still can't help but worry that she'd think I was weird or wouldn't believe me. Although she is a vampire, what wouldn't she believe? What wouldn't be possible at this point?

There's also this odd feeling that I there's some kind of tie to this place.

Even though I didn't have any piece of solid evidence, it felt as if something was definitely tied here. Ever since I met these people, I've been having more and more questionable things happen to me. My mind drifted back to when I was in Laito's bed and he was sound asleep. He was having a nightmare and looked as if he was truly afraid or petrified even, so just out of instinct, I placed my hand on his head and was greeted with flashes of memories. His memories. There was also that strange dream I had of a purple haired woman. I remember her reaching out touching my face with her cold wet bloody hands as she said Laito's name. There was also that dream I had of that man and woman having a very heated discussion. I could barely make out their faces but I felt as if I knew the woman. It wasn't much evidence that something may be related but it was all I could go on until I know more.

Maybe instead of keeping all of this to myself, maybe I should ask around. But would they tell me anything? Of course not. My best possible bet would be to either snoop around or count on Laito to tell me something. Shivering at the thought of the second option, I rather try the first option.

Yui reached out and placed her hand over mine.

"Hiyori?"

I met Yui's eyes and frowned.

"Yui, would you think me crazy if I told you that strange things have been happening to me ever since I met you guys. And no I'm not talking about the whole vampire thing. Its something more...out of the ordinary."

"I wouldn't think you were crazy but I would be worried about you. What's been happening?"

I took a deep breath and felt my palms get sweaty. Its strange that I was so nervous to tell Yui about all the things that's been going on before and after I met them. I knew she wouldn't judge me but I never talked about this sorta thing with anyone except Dad. But I wanted to tell Yui. She's trusted me with her secret and told me because she knew deep down that I wouldn't look at her any different. I should tell her out of trust and I most definitely trust her immensely.

Wiping my sweaty hands on my skirt, I sucked it up.

"Ever since I was little, I've had odd things occur with my body."

I felt myself hesitate on continuing further until Yui squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"You know it started with my cuts and bruises disappearing within twenty-four hours and then I began to notice that whenever I came within a few feet of dead weeds or other dying vegetation, it somehow came back to life. My Dad knew about the healing part but I never told him about the vegetation part because I was worried he'd never believe me. He took me to doctors to get an explanation but they all didn't know what it was. They dismissed it as my body being able to repair such light damage to it. I eventually got tired of the doctor visits and decided to just tell my Dad one day that I was basically all better. Nothing was wrong anymore and that we should leave it be. I didn't want him to worry anymore about something like that, so I lied. Of course it didn't go away and you know what, I'm sure my Dad knew I wasn't being truthful regarding the whole thing."

"He likely knew you didn't want him to worry about your well being, so respected your decision on leaving the whole matter be."

I nodded.

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to him about it when he came back home. He's been asking me a lot lately if something was the matter or what's on my mind. The other day I caved and told him that I'd wanna talk about what's been going on when he gets back."

"Do you think your Dad knows something? Something that he has yet to tell you?"

Shrugging, I leaned back in my seat while closing my eyes.

"I'm almost sure he does. Whenever he's been asking me if I'm alright and such, its almost as if he's just waiting for me to talk about it, just so he could get something off his chest."

Yui tapped her feet and frowned.

"Hiyori, so you think that maybe...he may know something regarding your mother?"

I opened my eyes and sat up straight.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I mean perhaps there are some things about your mother that you may not know. She passed away when you were young, so I'm sure there are some things about her that you don't know. There may be a tie there or maybe not. I figure you should open up any possibilities regarding your situation."

I stared off into space considering Yui's thoughts. She's got a point. Now that I think about it, Dad doesn't really talk about mom like that. I mean sure we grieved for her for a while but when we eventually moved on, Dad appeared to want to avoid talking about her. Thinking back, I remembered when I asked Dad how'd be met mom and he said that he had saved her. I had always wondered how he saved her and from what? He never really did specify on that topic. Likely not wanting to explain those kind of details to a ten year old loaded with questions.

 ** _7 Years ago ..._**

 _"Dad how did you meet mom?"_

 _Dad had just finished doing the dishes after we've had dinner. He was on his way to work in a while, so I decided to stall him for a few minutes. I hated to see him go considering we rarely get to have dinner together anymore. He's been working three times as hard ever since mom and I couldn't help but use small underhanded tricks to get him to stick around much longer than necessary. Even if it made him late to work._ _Dad dried his hands and made his way over to me._

 _"What brought this question up?"_

 _I shrugged._ _"Well I was just a bit curious."_

 _Dad ushered me to the living room and we both sat down on the couch._

 _"When I first met your Mom, she was quite the woman I tell you. Believe it or not, she was very quick with her words and almost always would respond to my banter with a cheeky response."_

 _My eyes widen in surprise. Mom was always so quiet and soft spoken. I didn't think it was possible for her to be sassy._

 _"No way."_

 _Dad nodded knowingly._

 _"Yes way. In fact, I actually saved her life. Although she was grateful, she made it clear to your Dad that she was fully capable of taking care of herself."_

 _I lit up at Dad's claim._ _"You saved her?"_

 _He nodded proudly._

 _"I sure did. You see, your mom was...sick. I just so happen to stumble upon her and my word, she gave me quite the fuss."_

 _"She was sick? What was the matter?"_

 _He scratched his chin seeming to hesitate on telling me._

 _"She had gotten into an accident of some sort and was very hurt."_

 _"But you saved her."_

 _"I did indeed. I had never met anyone as odd and unique like your mother. As time went on, we grew to like each other and I finally asked her to marry me. She didn't give me an answer right away but I could tell she wanted to say yes."_

 _I smiled eager to hear more. "When did she say yes?"_

 _"She said yes the night she decided to fully open up to me. Long story short,_ _I accepted her for who she was, she jumped in my arms making us both hit the ground."_

 _"Mom must've had secrets."_

 _Dad nodded._ _"She did but they weren't bad secrets. Just...different secrets."_

 _My curiosity showing on my face caused Dad to stand up and wag his finger._

 _"Oh no you don't. No more questions for tonight little lady. Get to bed and remember, double check the locks and don't let anyone in. Even if they're knocking claiming to know me."_

 _I jumped up off the couch and hugged Dad as he grabbed his things getting ready to head out. Dad bent down and hugged me back._

 _"Don't wait up for me like last time."_

 _I looked up at him with tears in my eyes._

 _"I won't."_

 _"Hiyori don't cry."_

 _I stubbornly rubbed my eyes._ _"I'm not crying, I was just holding my sneeze."_

 _Dad stood up straight and tussled my hair while laughing._

 _"Okay okay. Remember what I told you."_

 _Dad gave me one last rub on the top of my head and walked out the door. After he left, I walked up to the door like he said and checked to see if he locked the door properly. Sometimes the key wouldn't work and I'd have to lock it right after Dad left. Once I checked the locks, I went to my room to go to sleep. There was no telling when Dad would be back, I just hope I got to see him at least when I come home from school. Last time I waited for him, I ended up getting real sick because I slept on the couch without anything covering my body. He had to take off work for a few days just to take care of me. I apologized over and over again but all he did was smile and pat me on the head. He never got mad at me, he always smiled or laughed things off. I think that's what mom loved about him the most._

 _Oh mom..._

The sound of my name being called snapped me back to reality.

"Sorry about that Yui. I was just thinking about what you said."

"And what did you come up with?"

I ran my hand down my face with a tired sigh. "Well there are definitely some things that I'm sure my Dad knows and have yet to tell me. Of course that's my fault considering I've yet to ask. I wonder if he'd even tell me."

"You'll never know for sure until you ask him. I personally think he'd tell you. I mean you're not a child anymore, I'm sure he knows you can handle some things now. Ask him and see what he tells you."

Yui's right. When I asked Dad about mom, he seemed to delay a bit whenever he'd tell me something about her. Not sure if I'd be able to understand it or if I could handle it at my age but there's no excuse now. I'm not a child anymore and I know more than before, surely he won't hold back now.

 ** _Meanwhile_**

As Reji sat at his table reading through his book that contained his list of ingredients for his latest experiments, there was a small tap on the window along with a small screech. The noise made Reji begrudgingly get up from his seat and go towards the window. Moving the drapes aside, Reji pushed open the window and in flew a small bat. The winged rodent was carrying a folded piece of paper in its mouth. A curious frown appeared on his face as he reached out and took the parchment from the bat. He saw that it had the initials _K.H_ imbedded in the wax seal.

"Father sent a letter through his familiar?"

Reji thought it was odd considering his Father rarely did such a thing. He'd usually call or drop by. Once he took the paper from the bat, the bat quickly fluttered away while screeching in the night sky. Closing the windows, Reji went back towards his spot at the table and opened up the letter. Slowly and carefully, Reji ran his eyes over the letter reading it thoroughly. As he was reading the letter, he couldn't help the small amused smirk that dressed his lips. Finished reading it, he tossed it aside on his table next to his book.

"He's so insistent on learning about that simple girl. However, I can't deny my suspicions either."

Reji adjusted his glasses and walked over to his beakers and other many items that a typical chemist would have. Looking around his chemistry setup, his eyes settled on a small bottle containing a green liquid. Its something that he has been working on. It was meant to be a solution that would render someone utterly useless. Be it human or vampire, that being would be immediately paralyzed. He has tested it on regular everyday vermin that would stalk around the manor, past sacrificial brides and even his familiars. It was all the same result. It wasn't meant to kill anyone but much to his annoyance, it did just that. Although there were times when his test subjects merely went in a comatose state and woke up just a couple days later. He wasn't sure if he added too much of the powered scorpion venom, which he made himself, or too little chamomile, either way the outcome was not what he was looking for.

Thinking the possible answer may be in his book, he walked back over to the table to pick it up, only to have the bookmark fall right out of it. He watched it as it fell down to the floor with a thud. He didn't even need to use bookmarks but he was fond of this one and only bookmark in particular. As he reached down to pick it up, the initials _A.R_. caught his eye. His hand wavered over the bookmark, finding himself hesitant on picking it up.

 _"I want you to have this."_

 _Reji frowned appearing offended at the thought of being given a bookmark._ _"A Bookmark? But...I don't need one. I've memorized all the books I've read and if I did lose a page, I could easily find it again within a second."_

 _The woman let out a gentle laugh._

 _"Now now, no need to feel insulted, its merely a gift. You see here." She pointed at the beautiful pressed flower within the bookmark._ _"This is a Nymphaea lotus."_

 _Reji's eyes couldn't contain their curiosity about the lovely flower._ _"I've never heard of this flower before."_

 _The woman's brows rose in surprise._ _"The studious Reji has never heard of the Egyptian Lotus?"_

 _Reji's cheeks couldn't help but turn a small tinge of pink for being called out._ _"Its not that I don't know about it, I just...have never seen one before in person that's all_."

 _The woman brought her hand up and gently pinched his cheek._

 _"Reji I was merely teasing."_

 _Reji slapped her hand away obviously feeling embarrassed by the gesture but the woman only smiled the gentlest of smiles. Reji took the bookmark from her and noticed that it had her initials at the bottom corner. He frowned._

 _"Why are you giving me this? Isn't it yours?"_

 _"Don't I always give you gifts?"_

 _"You do but this clearly belongs to you."_ _Reji looked between her and the bookmark and seemed to have come to a conclusion._ _"Are you...leaving?"_

Finally grabbing the bookmark, Reji slipped it right back into his book and placed it on the table. Reji sighed while rubbing his tired eyes. He didn't know why he thought of that woman, but he rarely ever had thought of her since she went away. She was a strange one but...

Reji closed his eyes to try and close off wherever his thoughts were headed.

"I need to make a cup of tea."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Yui and I had finished up our conversation with her suggesting that I get some answers from my Dad. I told Yui all of what I wanted to tell her at the moment. I've yet to tell her about the strange dreams and visions I've had about Laito and a woman with long purple hair. If Laito knows her, then maybe Yui has heard of or seen her. I considered the thought of asking her but I wasn't sure if that was a question that was ready to be brought to attention. I still had no idea how I was even able to do what I did that night with Laito. As soon as I touched him, I was suddenly overwhelmed with many different flashes of his memories. I couldn't recall if it was through his eyes or someone else's, either way I saw what I saw and it was far from innocent.

Yui had bid me a goodnight and insisted that I stay in the room that I stayed in previously. I made my way to my room and saw that it was exactly how I'd left it. However I could tell that it had been cleaned a bit since I've been gone. Unfortunately I didn't have any clothes to sleep in but Yui volunteered to lend me a few of her gowns to choose from. That's if I could fit any. No offense to Yui, but I was a bit more shapely than her, so it may be a bit tight for me. Maybe I could ask her if she could steal one of the boys shirts and I wear that. The thought of me wearing their clothes actually made me blush. God why would that even cross my mind. I can barely think wholesome anymore thanks to those boys. I sighed while shaking my head. I kept thinking back to the things I've experienced ever since Yui and them appeared in my life. I knew it sounded ridiculous, especially when I barely had any proof, but it feels as if I'm meant to be here. Its the strangest thing. Even though I've never seen any of them before in my life, it feels as if I've met them before. But that's impossible.

I fell back on my bed and closed my eyes.

"Maybe I'm going crazy."

With my thoughts going a hundred miles an hour, I started to feel myself doze off. I eventually fell asleep for a short while, only to be woken up by a knock on the door. I took my time getting up because of how exhausted I was from my eventful night. Whoever it was, I hope that this would go smoothly so that I could lay back down and rest. I make it to the door with a tired sigh.

"Who is it?"

No answer.

"I said who is it?"

Still nothing. I rolled my eyes annoyed at the thought that one of the brothers may be messing around with me. Not bothering any second longer, I turned around planning on laying back down but then there was another knock on the door. Only this time it made me practically jump out of my shoes. It was very loud and echoed throughout my room. I stayed rooted to my spot not wanting to go closer.

"W-whoever is doing that, its not f-funny..."

Not to my surprise, I was still greeted with silence from the other side. I was considering the thought of whether or not I should open the door. I mean of course its one of them playing around. And by one of them, I mean Laito. I mean who else would pull something as childish as this. Ayato would pull something like this as well but he's with Yui. He has no reason to pull petty pranks with me. I decided to approach and open the door. I slowly creaked the door open and peeked out into the empty hallway. No one was there. The only thing that was present was absolute darkness and a small breeze of wind that carried throughout the hallway. Stepping out a bit further, I looked up and down the bare hall hoping to see a familiar face.

"Anybody out here?"

There was suddenly a loud thud that made me jump and place my hand on my chest. Whatever the sound was, it echoed loudly through the hall. I looked in the direction of where the sound came from and was unsure if I should even go in the direction of highly possible danger. Deciding not to explore the noise, I went to turn back in my room when all of a sudden the door slammed shut in my face. I immediately grabbed the door knob and twisted it only for it to be locked.

"Okay seriously, this is very strange. I didn't have the window open, so there's nothing to have pushed it closed. Unless it really is someone messing with me."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Looking left and right, I folded my arms and leaned against the door.

"Laito I know its you, knock it off."

Of course there was no one to respond back in return.

"Look I'm tired and I want to get some sleep, now if you wanna talk, can we do it some other time?"

Still no one answered back.

I then felt an uncomfortable chill run up my spine. I felt myself truly getting scared and went to try to open the door yet again. I frantically pulled and twisted at the knob but it still didn't budge. Almost as if someone was on the other side holding it. Seeing as how I wasn't gonna be able to go back in my room, I decided to just go and find Yui. That would be better than waiting around in a dark vacant hallway in a mansion full of vampires.

On trembling legs, I began walking down the hallway. Looking behind me every second because I could've sworn I felt someone touching the back of my neck. It felt as if I had been walking for minutes with how slow and careful I was moving. I wasn't even sure where Yui's room was, I was pretty much lost and I barely made it far. Without even realizing it, I ended up going in the same direction that I had heard that sound. Not wanting to go any further, I stopped and leaned up against the nearest door. My heart was pounding and I could feel myself inheriting a new profound fear of dark hallways. As I leaned up against the door trying to slow my heart rate, the door had opened up and next thing you knew I had fell back on the floor into the now opened room.

"Oww...what the...?"

I rubbed my backside and stood up dusting myself off. After relieving my aching bottom, I took a minute to look around the room I had fallen into. I didn't even notice that the door was open. Or maybe it truly wasn't and it opened by itself. I quickly shook that unsettling thought out of my head and went further into the room. Looking around, I saw that there was a lot of books. Like shelves and shelves of books everywhere. Was this a library? Of course they'd have a library. I mean this place if big enough for them to have a ballroom, so them having a library should be of no surprise.

I walked around looking up high at the many books. It wasn't dusty but it did appear that rarely anyone was in here. Now that I think about it, why would they have a library. I mean I'm certain that Reiji has made use of it and maybe even Shu but the rest of them? Well looking at all of these books, they appear very old of age, so maybe they use to study using these books or something. I mean why else have a library and all these books if you aren't gonna make use of it.

As I was walking, I ended up tripping over a stack of books and I fell to the floor with a painful and loud thud. To make matters worse, I had lightly bumped into one of the book cases, causing a book to hit me right on the head.

"Seriously, how much worse could this already get?"

I rubbed my head and thanked god that it was a small book and not something as heavy as a Dictionary. I looked on the floor and saw the book that hit me on the head. It didn't appear to be a book, more like a...Journal? I reached out and picked it up while analyzing the front and the back. There were initials sewed onto the cover and quite beautifully too might I add. With the journal in my hand, I stood up and out of curiosity, began flipping through a few of the pages. They were definitely worn and even dust puffed up in my face as I ran through each page. I ended up having a coughing fit and dropping the journal. I bent down to pick it up but then I began to hear faint whispering.

 _"We...-ould be...isking-...a lot..."_

Grabbing the journal, I quickly stood up straight and began turning my head left and right trying to locate where the voices were coming from. I didn't see anyone nor anything that would be causing any noise.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?"

Walking around, I stuck my ear out trying to see if I could hear where it was coming from but it seemed faint.

 _"...-ou...agreed to...-his..."_

I looked behind each corner I came by, calling out to anyone that may be in here with me. Then I realized something, that the voices I was hearing sounded very familiar to me. It was the same voices of that man and woman that I had dreamt about that night. Why was I hearing their voices? More importantly, where was it coming from. I'm not asleep as far as I know, so I can't be dreaming. Unless maybe I am dreaming and haven't realized it yet. Just to make sure, I pinched my cheek as I winced in pain.

"Yeah definitely not dreaming. But if I'm not dreaming, then where are those voices coming from?"

Next thing you knew a loud bang caused me to whip my head around to find that one of the windows had flew open slamming against the wall. Clutching the journal close to my chest, I couldn't help but start to shiver in place. This was more terrifying than I had thought. It wasn't meant to be a windy night, so how did the windows open like that. What if their house has apparitions and I'm getting haunted right now? Just the thought sent goosebumps all over my body.

Not wanting to be in the library a second longer, I slowly began to back up only for the back of my feet to be stopped dead in their tracks. Before I could react, I ended up falling backwards and onto whatever caused my third fall. At first I thought it was just another pile of books but it felt a bit different. Like...softer?

I felt around for a good minute trying to figure what I landed on. After feeling underneath me for a while, I came to the conclusion that I didn't fall on something, but someone.

"What a perverted woman you are fondling me like this."

With a yelp, I hopped up off of whoever spoke just now. Recognizing the voice, I felt myself calm down a bit.

"S-shu? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?"

His eyes were closed but that didn't stop the small smirk from appearing on his face in amusement. What in the world was he doing laying in the middle of the floor like this anyway? Maybe he was sleeping in here or something. Yui did say that he liked to nap in quiet places, and I could definitely see this place being on his list of where to take a snooze.

I continued to stare at him until I decided to get myself together.

"I'm sorry for falling on you and um...touching you like that. Its a bit dark in here...so I didn't know what I landed on."

I felt my face burn at the thought of how bold my actions must've appeared to him. Definitely a misunderstanding.

Opening his drowsy eyes, Shu met my apologetic gaze. He simply stared at me as I tried to think of something else to say. This suddenly felt awkward. Why was he staring at me like that? Perhaps he wasn't buying my excuse? Or maybe he was still half sleep. Hearing a small sound come from his earphones, I decided to make conversation about his taste in music.

"I...n-notice that you always wear your earbuds, what kind of music do you listen to? Is it classical?"

Still nothing.

I smiled nervously.

"I uh...overheard a bit of what you were listening to in the car. You have nice taste. It seems right up your alley."

He was still staring blankly at me. I mean if he's gonna stare at me, at least say something to me. For goodness sake I'm trying to make this less awkward but its only becoming more awkward. Mostly from my end obviously seeing as how I'm the only one attempting to make idle conversation with the least talkative brother.

Seeing as how this whole situation wasn't going anywhere, I got ready to stand up to leave only for him to reach out and grab my wrist.

"Would you like to listen?"

His offer caught me by surprise and at first I was almost speechless.

"A-are you sure? I-I mean, I didn't mean to disturb you..."

He pulled me closer to him and I practically fell on top of him again.

"You're interested in my taste in music right? Here."

Shu took an earbud out of his ear and offered it to me. I hesitated before I took it thinking that it was kind of strange for him to let me listen to his music. Deep down, I felt honored because it felt as if this was a step in getting to know him properly. He's always to himself and isolated from everyone else, that I can't remember seeing him little to at all. Minus our first interaction at school on the steps.

"Really? Uh, okay."

I put the earbud in my ear and the sound that entered my ear was something I definitely had not planned on hearing. I felt my whole face get hot and in shock, I yanked the earbud out of my ear and tossed it in his direction. Utterly horrified at what I had heard.

"S-shu! W-w-what was that!?"

Shu merely let out a soft chuckle at my embarrassed state.

"It's music."

"That's not music! That's...that's..."

I couldn't even say it I was so disgusted. How can he actually sit here and listen to such things. He was absolutely deplorable. More deplorable than Laito. My god, I didn't think that'd be possible.

Shu picked up the earbud I tossed at him and placed it right back in his ear.

"To hear a woman sigh and moan in ecstasy is true music to a man's ears."

I couldn't help but gawk at his explanation. Was he serious? What am I saying of course he was.

"That's just disgraceful, not music! That kind of thing...you just don't...its not..."

I didn't have much to argue with. I mean who am I to tell him he shouldn't listen to stuff like that. He's older and more mature than me, so I'm sure he has experience in that sorta thing. So perhaps he truly does see some kind of satisfaction in listening to such things. Its not like I have experience with that sort of stuff but did he truly have no shame in what he was doing. I mean for heaven's sake, does he listen to this all the time? Even at school?

Shu noticed that I was tripping over my tongue and chuckled.

"There's no reason to shy away from it. You'll make those sounds one day."

My jaw pretty much might as well had hit the floor. He didn't just say that. Did he really just say that so nonchalantly? I couldn't help but think back to that time Laito touched me and my whole face felt like a dead giveaway.

Shu gave me a coy side glance with a light tilt of his head and small raise of his eyebrows.

"Oh, unless you have already?"

He smirked.

"Did they help you get a release? Or maybe...you did it yourself?"

Next thing you knew, there was a loud smack that sounded around the library. Did I just...hit him? Oh no. I hadn't even realized. I just saw red. Right at that moment with the way he was speaking, he reminded me of Laito. His appalling way with words, his crude and bold nature, almost everything. Yet it was something different with how he said it. Laito was a true disgusting pig that didn't shy away from such inappropriate behaviors, but with Shu it was a bit different. He seems to find the art in such intimate actions and takes pleasure in it, whereas Laito was like a horny dog. Seemingly no standards and didn't see his actions as nothing but pure lust that needs to be satisfied.

I saw a small redness began to appear on Shu's face and I covered my mouth with my hand in shock at my actions.

"I'm...I didn't mean..."

I stopped my words from finishing that sentence. No. I'm not gonna apologize for hitting him. He deserved it. He shouldn't speak to me or any other girl like that.

"I know I shouldn't have hit you, but you can't speak to a woman like that. I don't know where you get off talking to me like that, but its a highly inappropriate topic and a very sensitive one for some people. At least have some kind of subtlety. Now I'm sorry for disturbing you, that's the only thing I'll apologize for."

Before I could move away, I ended up being pulled down to the floor and him hovering over me with disinterested eyes. The sudden action caused me to gasp in surprise and I immediately went to try and move from underneath him but with his weight on me, it was far from possible.

Shu ended up laying his head between the crook of my neck. His light breathing was causing my skin to tingle a bit and my heart began racing.

"Heh, where'd all that fire go? You had so much to say before."

"I..."

I felt him graze his lips along my neck and I couldn't help but shut my eyes and shiver under his small touches.

"Your heart's racing. Are you scared? Or perhaps a bit excited?"

"O-of course not...!"

He lifted his head up to meet my eyes and a smug smile reached his lips. He looked so for sure of himself that he was getting a reaction out of me. I mean he was but not the reaction he was hoping to see. I would never give him that satisfaction.

Before I had time to react, his mouth made its way back down to my neck and bit down. A small squeak of a sound left my mouth. I winced as he drank his fill. I tried to calm myself down in hopes that it would hurry and end but it was no good. With him pretty much laying on top of me, it was a bit difficult to breath, so I just had to wait for him to finish as soon as possible.

He suckled and licked at the wounds with a sigh and moan in satisfaction.

"You taste...different."

Frowning, I stared up at him not fully sure what he meant.

"Huh?"

"Much sweeter than the first time."

I then felt one of his hands start to wander along my legs. Lightly grazing his fingertips on my skin all the while continuing to suck my blood. He sucked harder and more the more he touched me. He would occasionally stop to lightly lap at the wounds.

"Maybe you taste sweeter because you're feeling a bit of pleasure. If that's the case then..."

His hand slowly traveled up to my thigh edging my skirt up little by little.

"S-stop!"

Even though I say that, I couldn't help the chills that coursed through my body at each caress. His hand eventually traveled further up my leg and underneath my skirt. I then felt his fingers teasingly tugging at the seam of my underwear. Each light pulls sent my heart pounding. Afraid he might actually tear them off. I was hoping to think heavens above that he wouldn't do that to me. I wouldn't be able to stomach it. Absolutely humiliated and reluctant, I shut my eyes praying that he would stop. Hoping that my body would stop feeling these things as he touched me ever so gently.

"S-shu...please...stop..."

I felt his movements almost quickly halt after my small plea and hesitantly opened my eyes, only to see Shu staring down at me with his eyes more open than they usually are. As he stared at me, I noticed a small glint of familiarity in his gaze. That was the same look he had given me when I caught him staring at me in the car. Why was he looking at me like that?

Shu's gaze then glossed over off to the side. I followed his site and saw that he was staring at the journal that I had dropped on the floor. I tried calling his name but he didn't budge one bit nor look my way. It was like he was almost frozen...

 ** _Years ago..._**

 _As the woman sat on the bench writing away in her journal, out of the corner of her eye, she sees a curious Shu approaching. She looked up from her journal and smiled. Shu couldn't help but turn a small shade of pink when she smiled sweetly at him. She was an acquaintance of his Father and they'd always have meetings talking about things that stayed behind closed doors. He felt himself having a small crush on her. Today she was wearing a golden dress that really made her eyes shine. And her hair was soft, brown and curly as it framed her face perfectly. It was a sunny day, so she looked almost as if she was glowing like a goddess._

 _"Hi Shu, what brings you here to me today?"_

 _Shu shrugged. "Nothing really, just walking." Shu saw that she had her pen and journal in her hand._

 _"I always see you writing in that when you're here. What are you writing? A story?"_

 _The woman closed the journal and patted an empty spot next to her._

 _"No not a story, just everyday events that has happened to me."_

 _Shu sat down next to her."What were you writing about today?"_

 _"I was writing about my time here is all. Nothing too exciting. Shu, do you know how long I've been coming here?"_

 _He frowned clearly unsure._

 _"I don't know but you seem to come here whenever Father is here. So I guess for how ever many times he has stopped by."_

 _Shu looked down at his shoes with a sullen expression._

 _Concern dressed her face. "Shu what's the matter?"_

 _He scratched the back of his head unsure if he should say anything._

 _"It's...mother. She's been more and more intense with her teachings."_

 _The woman placed her hand on his head._

 _"Yes she is very...strict. But please don't doubt that she loves you and Reiji. She only wants what's best for you."_

 _Doubt crossed his face._

 _"I don't know. That doesn't feel like its true. Besides, she never pushes Reiji this hard and he's way better at studying than me."_

 _She nodded._

 _"Yes its true he's always buried in books but she probably expects more from you since you're the eldest. Speaking of her, where is she?"_

 _Almost as if she was summoned, Beatrix had began walking towards the both of them and she didn't look too pleased that her son had wandered off away from her. She didn't frown but you could see in her eyes that she was far from pleased with her sons actions._

 _"Shu what are you doing here when you should be going over your lessons."_

 _Shu couldn't even look at her._

 _"But mother I...I was just taking a break. I never have time for anything. I don't even remember the last time I've played with my brothers."_

 _The corner of Beatrix's mouth almost upturned into a snarl but she kept her composure._

 _"Playing? Fooling about will not aid you for your future. Shu you have to be better, better than..."_

 _She stopped herself and sighed. "Son, just come and finish what you were assigned to do."_

 _Shu hopped down from his seat disappointed that he couldn't win this argument._

 _"Yes mother."_

 _Shu began walking away going back to what his mother had tasked him to do, but he couldn't help but overhear the two women's conversation._

 _Beatrix then looked at the woman casually sitting there observing the whole scene._

 _"Thank you for watching him. I hope he didn't disturb you."_

 _The woman shook her head._

 _"Not at all but you have to admit Beatrix he has a point. The least you could do is understand from his perspective. You must give him time to himself. To be a child. Forcing such responsibilities on one so young will damage him."_

 _Beatrix sighed. She seemed to had considered this thought but merely for a second._

 _"I appreciate your advice but he is my son and I know what's best for him. I get to choose his path. Its...better this way."_

 _The woman shook her head knowingly._

 _"From what I've been seeing, it seems to be better more for you than your own child."_

 _Beatrix couldn't hide the anger on her face at the woman's bold claim. The woman shook her head shamefully._

 _"Don't look at me like that Beatrix, you know it to be true."_

 _The woman then stood and began walking off but not before turning her head and speaking behind her._

 _"If you continue to waste your time competing with that devil of a woman, you will fall and you'd be dragging your sons with you."_

 _The woman kept walking until she was out of Beatrix's sight. Beatrix frowned deeply angry at the woman for saying such things. No, she was wrong. I'm doing this for my child, not for me. She tried so hard to reassure herself but deep down, she knew there was truth to what she had just said. She felt herself clench her fists angry at the fact she had spoken to her with such certainty._

 _"No, you're wrong Aria..."_

"Aria..."

Shu's small whisper almost went unnoticed by me and I patted his shoulder trying to bring him back to reality. I really began to feel his true weight when he spaced out like that. He was barely holding himself up before but now he appeared to almost have collapsed on me.

My touch brought his eyes back down to me.

"Shu...I can't breathe..."

Seeming to have snapped out his trance, Shu shut his eyes with a sigh and slowly removed himself from off of me. I sat up dusting myself off and fixing my clothes. I reached and touched where he bit me and felt my wounds already closing. Not wanting him to see, I quickly kept my hand covered over the bite marks. Laito already knows and that was one too many. Yui does too but I obviously trust her more than him. I don't think Shu would say much of anything but I didn't wanna risk it.

I saw that Shu had trained his eyes back on the journal that laid face up on the floor.

"Um Shu, is that journal yours?"

Nothing.

"You said...Aria? Is she someone you know?"

Apparently I must've had pried too much for his liking because he suddenly stood up without a word. Before he walked out, he stopped to look back at me with a blank face, then he took his leave.

It was now my turn to stand up from the floor. I patted myself down getting off any dirt that may have gotten on my skirt. I really needed to get out of here. Its been so many odd occurrences left and right, I fell three times, almost jumped out of my skin more than twice and I ran into Shu getting bit in the process. Fortunately he didn't take that much blood, so I felt fine afterwards but my neck was sore. I could feel the pain diminishing though.

I got ready to walk out but then I forgot about the journal. Shu appeared fixated on it which made me curious as to why. I asked him but of course he didn't give me answer. Would it be wrong of me to take it and go through it? Well I mean it should be okay. It was pretty old and I'm sure no one has touched it in god knows how long. The journal was worn and the pages were dusty, so I'm sure I'm the only one that has touched it in a long while.

The sound of the wind whistling startled me causing me to hurry with my decision and I decided at last to bring it back to my room. Grabbing the journal off the floor, I hurried out of the library and rushed back to my room. When I got there, I noticed that the door was finally unlocked. Not bothering to question why it locked in the first place, I twisted the knob and bolted inside. Closing the door with a slam, I leaned back against it and breathed a huge sigh of relief while holding the journal close to my chest.

"Oh. My. Goodness. That is the last time I go walking around like that."

Finally calming myself down, I headed over to the bed and sat down with a tired flop. I held the journal in my hand and stared at the cover. This thing looked as if it could crumble into pieces at any moment. I'm surprised that it survived falling on my head. I felt hesitant on opening it, but I didn't know why. Maybe because it wasn't my place to read whatever was inside of it. I ran my fingers over the initials A.R. that was finely stitched at the bottom of it. I almost didn't notice it. I carefully flipped it open and ended up on the first page. Whoever's journal this was, clearly had beautiful hand writing. Most definitely a woman's handwriting, but why did it look so familiar.

 ** _April 25th XXXX_**

 _I've never had a diary before, so I have no idea of what to write about. Well first off, this journal was a gift from Karl, the man who managed to save me from starving and dying in the middle of the night. He told me that I could write in it whenever I felt stressed or just wanted to describe a good day. It was very kind of him to give me such a thing. Well that's all I have to say for now I suppose._

 _~Aria Reyes_

My brows shot up in realization. "Aria Reyes? Aria. Didn't Shu say that name back in the library?"

Deciding to shake off that thought for now, I flipped the page and continued reading.

 ** _May 20th XXXX_**

 _Its been a while since I've written in this thing. Of course I've had nothing to vent about because I wasn't stressed. So I suppose I could talk about the good that has been happening. Karl took me shopping today and he bought me the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. I can't recall ever receiving a gift so extravagant. And to make the whole dress even more outstanding, he bought me a lovely necklace with an amber stone hanging from the chain. He told me that it reminded him of my eyes and that it made them shine more. Even now I can't help but turn red thinking back to his bold compliment. This man really was remarkable. Is this what they called courting? My mother would warn me of such actions and that it was a sign that a man wanted to bed me. But I don't think that's the case with Karl._

 _~Aria Reyes_

I found myself really immersed in what I was reading. This woman was clearly impressed and in awe with this Karl guy. I wonder if they actually ended up being together in the end. She sounds as if she may have actually given him a chance.

I can't help but feel guilty a bit because I was reading something so personal about a person I don't even know. It felt like I was snooping. Well I mean I was, but does it count if its like hundreds of years old? Maybe she passed away a long time ago. I mean look at the year. This was clearly more than a long time ago. Also, if Shu was talking about this very same person, it makes me wonder how old him and his brothers are.

Reading a bit further into it, I felt myself not being able to stop. It was almost as if I could feel myself being in her shoes. She spoke of this man with trust yet at the same time, uncertainty. Reading on she was basically talking about all the time she's spent with this man and that she felt truly happy for the first time. She mentioned that he saved her life but doesn't really specify what happened. Maybe I have to read a bit more in order to come across it. It felt like I was reading a real life Fairy Tale. I only wondered if it had a happy ending in the end.

I looked at the clock that hung on the wall and my eyes went wide. It was pretty late. I laid the journal on the bed and removed my shoes and socks. I didn't have anything to wear and I didn't want to sleep in my uniform. I wanted to find Yui and see if she had anything but what if she's with Ayato. The last thing I would want is to walk in on them in a...compromising position so to speak. Then I remembered something. The room I was staying in was more than a guest room, so maybe it had spare clothes in here as well. I went over towards the dresser and opened up the drawer. There were night gowns folded neatly inside and right along side them were some pairs of small slippers. They looked a bit old fashioned and very long but that was fine as long as it was comfortable.

I pulled out a soft white colored one, and pressed it up against my body while leaving the shoes on the floor.

"Even slippers? Why do they even have these kind of things anyway? This is all feminine attire. Maybe they have a lot of female company."

I shivered at the thought and hated myself for letting my mind go there. If that were the case, at least they kept their company comfortable. Not wanting to think about it any further, I got ready to change out of my uniform. I decided to change right in the middle of the room rather than go into the bathroom. Everyone should be asleep and thankfully, I haven't been harassed by Laito or anyone else. Minus Shu of course, but that encounter was fortunately brief and didn't cause as much damage as it usually would. I felt for my bite marks and they were actually gone. Yeah this is freaky. They're healing faster than ever. I felt myself panicking a bit and took deep breathes to calm myself down.

"Its fine. Its fine. I'll just tell Dad and he'll have an explanation for this. Maybe it comes from mom's side of the family. Genetics? No way, this is clearly beyond genetics. God what am I saying. I sound insane."

This will all be fine once I talk to Dad. I'm sure of it.

Once I got the gown on, I sat my uniform on top of the dresser and went back over to the bed. I picked up the journal and ran my hand over the fragile cover. I wonder if anyone else knew who this Aria was. I mean her journal was in their home and in their library, so I'm sure someone has heard of her. As soon as I was about to open it back up to read some more, a knock on the door caused me to jump a bit dropping the journal on the floor. Without thinking twice, I kicked it under the bed. I'm not sure if it would matter or not to them, but just in case someone asked questions, the book was out of sight.

I made sure my gown was on appropriately and I went to answer the door. It must be Yui, I mean she'd be the only one to knock on my door rather than barge in or sneak in. I opened the door and was quite surprised at who I saw.

"R-reiji?"

Reiji stood outside the door with his arms crossed as if he had been kept waiting for a long while.

"You took your time answering. Were you occupied?"

I shook my head.

"No I was just um...changing into something for bed. Was there something you needed?"

"I'll tell you when we get there. Come with me."

Without even waiting for me to follow up behind him, Reiji had already begun walking away. I left the room and closed the door right behind me. I managed to catch up with him before he disappeared out of my sight. We were walking side by side down the hallway in dead silence. I know he said that he'd tell me when we got there but the suspense was killing me.

"Uh Reiji...?"

Silence.

"I know you said that you'd tell me when we got there but don't you think its not an appropriate time to talk. Its really late."

Still nothing.

"Well is it urgent?"

Seeing as how I wasn't gonna get anything out of him, I figured that I'd just do what he says and wait til we got there. I had no idea where we were even going, I was simply following him. We ended up in front of a door that was partially opened. Reiji went in first and of course expected me to follow him inside. I did indeed follow right behind him not wanting to keep him waiting.

Was this his room or his workplace? There was a huge case with many books, a table that seemed to have chemistry equipment, a desk that had a two chairs near it and I saw another case that had table wear inside of it. Just how many hobbies did he have? I wasn't sure if I should be impressed or scared out of my wits right now. As I was taking in everything, Reiji had headed over to the table with the beakers and stuff on it and put together a small teapot of hot water. Was he making tea? While he did that, I merely stood still in the middle of the floor occasionally looking at my feet or the ceiling. I would've sat down but I'd prefer to wait for him to tell me where to sit. I didn't want to upset him. It seemed like the smallest thing would set him off, so I waited.

Once Reiji was done getting the teapot set up, he turned to me. Our eyes locked and I couldn't help but feel trapped. He made me so nervous. Just what did he want at this hour?

Reiji motioned his head in the direction of the chair by his desk.

"Take a seat."

Not waiting a second longer, I hurried and sat down while twiddling my toes. This was beyond nerve racking. I watched as he slowly made his way to the chair that sat right across from me and sat down. I couldn't help but look everywhere else but at him.

"How ridiculous. Can't even make simple eye contact."

His stern and callous voice made me jump a bit in my seat.

"I-I'm sorry...just a bit...nervous is all."

Reiji sighed, looking more than done with me. Why does he look annoyed? He was the one that came and got me in the middle of the night. He act as if I'm bothering him or something.

"Do you plan on associating yourself with this house further?"

His question caught me off guard and I simply stared at him at a lost for words. My silence obviously only bothered him and he adjusted his glasses.

"Is that a complicated question for you to answer?"

I shook my head.

"Its not that at all. Its just...why ask that?"

Reiji sighed while crossing his legs.

"That girl has had quite a plethora of acquaintances, which have all caused quite a bit of trouble."

I nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, Yui told me."

"Good then I don't have to explain much but I will say this. If you intend on being around as much, then you need to be given a warning."

I felt goosebumps rise almost immediately at the change of his tone. Readying myself for what he was about to say. I didn't want him to think I was easily intimidated but that wasn't so easy. I mean look at my situation. How can anyone stay remotely clam and collected. I met his piercing gaze with as much confidence I could muster up.

"Is this a warning or a...threat?"

A small sinister smile stretched on his face appearing to be somewhat impressed with my response.

"Despite how skittish you are, you seem to have a tongue on you."

"Is that bad?"

"Depends on what comes out of your mouth and who you're addressing."

Not knowing what else to say, I zipped my lips.

"Anyways, to answer your question, yes. It is a threat. I'm not one to prolong the inevitable so I'm just going to put this as bluntly as possible. If you've come here with a motive, or any other personal reason that may benefit you, I will personally see to it that you be disposed of. Now you see, I really don't care who that girl invites into her personal life but if her choices put all of us in a situation that will make things...difficult, then that's when I start to interfere. I hope I'm being as clear to you as possible."

I couldn't even form a sentence at that moment. I had no idea what to say to all of what he threw at me. Just what had those girls done for him to come at me and say these things. Yui did tell me that they used her merely to get close to the Sakamaki's but maybe she only told me so much. Whatever had happened before, it must've been serious if Reiji is actually threatening to kill me. Honestly though, I couldn't help but feel my heart drop guiltily in my stomach when he mentioned having a hidden motive. Truth be told, I actually did but it wasn't like that. I came here on a whim because of what Laito had claimed to know. And its not like I've befriended Yui because I knew there was something more here in their home. I wasn't even gonna come here at first, but then something told me to just give it a chance. He could be telling the truth. And as for the whole vampire thing, I became Yui's friend because I wanted to, not because I wanted to be these guys blood bag or because I found myself infatuated with them. Heck, I didn't even know anything about them until Yui told me about them. Even after she did, I didn't fall for their charm or try to weasel my way into her life to get to them, I stayed by her side and began to understand her bit by bit. She's also helping me understand these guys as well. Its very difficult but I'm trying. I'm trying to see what she sees.

Reiji was looking at me as if he had just succeeding in catching me.

"Seems I was right. I'm usually not this kind, but I'm giving you a chance to find your way out and...-"

I stopped him midway.

"I have no idea what those girls did to have you threaten me like this but I don't have any intention of doing whatever they did. I'm not like those horrible and greedy girls. I'm not gonna sit here and lie to you about something that has never even crossed my mind. I care about Yui and I want her to trust me just as well as be a friend to me and vice versa. But if you still have doubts of where I stand, then by all means you can interrogate me for the rest of the night."

Reiji stared at me appearing to be caught off guard and bothered by my sudden interruption. We shared each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity until the sound of the teapot whistling caught my attention. I broke our eye contact looking at the steaming pot. Reiji stood up while adjusting his shirt.

"Would you like some tea?"

I almost took him up on his offer, but one look at his chemical set up had me thinking otherwise.

"N-no thank you."

Reiji noticed where my eyes went and smirked.

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't do it in such a tasteless manner. You'll drink the tea. I rarely offer such a gesture, you'll offend me if you don't accept."

He went over to get our tea cups prepared all the while he was doing that, I noticed his fancy and neat tea cups, silverware and other well kept knickknacks. Did he collect them?

"You have a beautiful display Reiji."

My compliment caused Reiji to halt his movements over by the table. He didn't turn around but I could tell that he did acknowledge my compliment. It was quiet for a second until he turned around with towards tea cups in his hands.

"I've spent much of my time tending to my collection. This set is my Royal Albert. Not my favorite, but still one of my most precious of treasures."

Reiji offered the beautiful tea cup to me and I hesitantly reached out and carefully grabbed it. It really was something. It had a real vintage appeal to it especially with its lovely royal blue and golden art style along the edge. I was honestly afraid to put my lips to it thinking I'd ruin it with my lips imprinted on it. Reiji noticed my hesitant behavior yet again and didn't like it one bit.

"Are you turning down my gesture?"

"No no not at all! I swear. I was just admiring the cup. I-its really beautiful. I'd hate to drink from it."

With his cup in hand, he sat back down across from me and sipped carefully at his drink. As he sipped his tea, his eyes stayed on me the whole time. Maybe he was waiting for me to drink mine.

I looked at the contents in the cup and couldn't help but feel scared to try it. I mean it looked normal, and smelled nice. Maybe he wasn't trying to kill me but scare me. Slowly, I bought the cup to my lips and sipped. The temperature was just right, and it had a very smooth taste. Of course Reiji can make tea this good. Out of all his brothers, he seems to be the only one with a proper upbringing.

"Its delicious."

Reiji let out a confident 'Hmpf' as if it was obvious.

"Of course it is. I wouldn't serve anything that wouldn't do my set justice."

I couldn't do anything but nod in agreement. He really did take much pride in his hobby. It was honestly kind of...cute? That was a strange thing to think about the most uptight person I've ever met. Maybe it was because of how proud he was of it. Even not daring to put just any old ordinary tea in the cups was a sign enough that these items meant a lot to him. I wonder what got him into it so deeply and passionately. We continued to sip the tea silently. The silence was really getting to me, so I decided to take it upon myself to start up a conversation.

"Um Reiji, what got you into collecting tableware? You're very passionate about it."

At first I thought he was gonna ignore me because he didn't say anything. He only sipped away at his tea appearing to carefully savor each sip that touched his tongue. Then much to my surprise, he said something.

"What does it matter to you?"

Okay nevermind. For a second there I thought he'd open up but I expected too much too soon.

"Just curious is all. You have such an elegant hobby, its just interesting."

"Just curious? What would you gain from gathering information on my 'hobby'?"

"I-I wasn't trying to gain anything, just make simple conversation is all. I mean we're just sitting here in silence. You got me from my room to talk to me, we've talked and seemingly got some understanding out of the way, I figure we change the atmosphere a bit."

"With idle unnecessary chatter?"

I shrugged.

"I mean I wouldn't put it that way but...yeah."

Reiji's face twisted in irritation and annoyance.

"I'm not one to indulge in that kind of activity while drinking tea. I prefer silence or a good book."

Not another word was exchanged between us for a while. I mean I could just get up and leave but every time I made a move to get up, Reiji would give me a look that basically said, 'I'm not done with you yet'. I had no idea what else he wanted from me but I wish he'd hurry up and tell me instead of making me sit here in silence. Once I was done with my tea, I decided to look around the room yet again only this time out of boredom. My eyes then glossed over to the desk that was right next to me and I saw that it was littered with papers. There was a book that was on the table and it looked as if he was reading it still. You could see the bookmark peeking out between the pages. The bookmark was more than a bookmark. It looked like there was a pressed flower in between what seemed like glass. It may even be crystal with how shiny it was. I could only see half of it but it also had some gold trimming along the edges. Where'd he get something that lovely?

Reiji noticed my attention was on his desk and he sat his cup down.

"Your eyes sure do love to wander."

"I'm not trying to be rude, I was just looking at your bookmark. I'd never seen one like that. Did you make it?"

"No."

I simply nodded. Of course he wasn't gonna carry on a conversation. My eyes went back to the bookmark and I noticed a letter. Then another. There were initials on the corner of it and it said...A.R.?

Those are the same initials that were on that journal. Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe there really was a connection here. Perhaps it belonged to the same woman that owned that journal. If that's the case, then maybe Reiji knew her as well. Could she be the same woman Shu mentioned? Is that Aria?

I so badly wanted to ask but I knew that that would be beyond a bad idea. Especially with that "warning" Reiji gave me, I'd only provoke him to carry out his threat.

"You're especially interested in my bookmark."

Quickly removing my eyes from it, I looked back at him.

"Oh I...I um..."

"Is there a reason in particular that you're so drawn to it?"

I shook my head denying it.

"No its just...a unique bookmark is all. I also noticed that there's a flower pressed within it. Its an Nymphaea lotus right?"

"...It is. Not many people know of it, but I was fortunate to obtain it."

Obtain it? Did he find it or did someone give it to him? I think the latter is more possible. I can't really picture Reiji picking flowers just to make a simple bookmark. I'm honestly surprised that he even has it, Reiji didn't seem like the type to use one seeing as how brilliant he is. I couldn't contain my small smile which didn't go unnoticed by Reiji.

"What are you smiling about?"

I stood up slowly while rubbing my eyes.

"Nothing. I um, think I should get back to my room, I'm feeling tired."

I really was exhausted, like I suddenly had no feeling in my legs. I could barely keep myself up, so I held onto the closest thing which was his desk. I ended up knocking some papers on the floor while trying to keep my balance.

"Oh no...Reiji...I didn't mean...What's wrong with me?"

Reiji then stood as he watched me struggle to keep my composure.

"That took quite a long time to take effect. I didn't think you'd be able to fight it for so long."

What did he just say? Wait, did he put something in that tea after all?

"But you said..."

"I said I wouldn't kill you and what I gave you won't kill you but you do seem to have a strong immunity to it."

I watched as he began to approach me as if he was inspecting me. Out of instinct, I started to back away from him, only to trip over my suddenly heavy feet. Falling flat on my bottom, I could feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier. Just what in the world did he give me?

Reiji watched as my body slowly gave out and folded his arms.

"Your body's fighting it pretty hard. I'm sure its because I only gave you a small amount but still..."

He suddenly came closer and grabbed my wrist pulling me up rather roughly and tossing me back into my seat. I wanted to tell him off for his rough handling with me but I couldn't even muster up a whole sentence. My head felt heavy and my body felt as if it had been drained and yet I couldn't pass out. It felt almost as if I was...

Reiji smiled as if he was fully entertained.

"Rather than it render your body useless, it seems to have you feeling a bit intoxicated. This is quite an amusing outcome."

I couldn't hold back my displeased expression and tried to get up yet again, only to fall back down.

"What...did you...give me?"

Reiji walked over to his desk and picked up the book that had the bookmark, opened it up then began writing something down in it. He was ignoring me.

Feeling myself get angry, I forced myself to stand up despite my body's protest. I laid my hand on my head while laying the other on the nearest thing to keep me balanced. Before I could even attempt to give him an earful, Reiji sat his book down and looked at me.

"There's one more thing I need to see."

Without warning, Reiji wrapped his arm around me pulling me close to him. I was definitely too weak to fight back, so I just waited for him to do the obvious.

He pushed my hair away from my neck and craned my head back while leaning into my neck. As he bit down, I couldn't help but feel an odd sensation overcome me. It didn't hurt like it usually would but it was...unexplainable.

Noticing my change in mood, Reiji lifted his head and couldn't help but smile smugly.

"Enjoying it are you?"

I shook my head denying the obvious but of course it was far from convincing. Clearly not believing me, Reiji gave me a cold glare and practically sneered at me.

"What a disgraceful girl."

Reji went back in for another drink as I lay almost lifeless in his arms. A pleased and curious moan came from him and he lifted his head yet again.

"Strange, you taste nothing like before."

His head went back in between my neck and took another mouthful.

"Mmhm...so sweet..."

In between each sip of my blood, Reiji couldn't contain his infatuation and curiosity with my blood. It was as if he was tasting blood for the first time. He held onto me tighter than before and his head tucked itself deeper into my neck. I could barely move, so I was completely at his mercy. My ears were filled with his suckling and pants as he didn't seem as if he would stop. My heart began to race in fear and my chest rose repeatedly as I began to breathe rapidly. He was going to drain me dry at this point. Slowly, I brought my hand up and placed it on the back of his head.

"R-reiji...stop..."

Unfortunately my plea went on empty ears. Reiji was truly losing control. When he first drank my blood, he only took so much. As if he was merely sampling me to see if I was even worth the time but now he doesn't want to let go. What was so different now? I didn't understand at all. He mentioned that I tasted different from before. Now that I think about it, Shu told me something similar. And Laito as well.

After what felt like an eternity, Reiji finally put a stop to his fulfilment, lifting his head with a soft pleasing sigh. I could still feel his light breathing on my neck. Every time he exhaled, his soft yet cool breath would bring temporary relief to the wounds he inflicted. I swallowed and prayed that he wouldn't go back for another drink, I don't think I'd be able to stay awake at this rate. I then heard him whisper onto my skin.

"I very seldom ever let myself lose control like that."

For a second there, Reiji looked a bit taken aback at how he had just behaved. He probably was a bit embarrassed by his own lack of control. My hand slipped from his head and fell limp. He let me go without caring if I had hit the floor like before but this time I managed to hold myself up and maneuvered myself back into my chair. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back while breathing heavily. My neck had a dull pain in it and it felt hot. I quickly reached and covered the bite mark with my hair to avoid him from seeing it heal.

"You can stay here for a short while until you get your strength back, then you can leave."

The nerve of him to say that to me, when he's the cause of putting me in this position. Reiji wiped at his mouth with a handkerchief and left the room. At the sound of the door closing, I felt my shoulders relax. Whatever he gave me, it was starting to wear off and thank goodness. That was absolutely horrible. My whole body felt as if it just shut down but I couldn't pass out. I was dizzy, weak, and couldn't comprehend much of anything while I was under the influence of whatever he put in my body. I finally began to doze off for a few minutes. It wasn't comfortable but it was better than laying on the floor.

I was woken up to the sound of a door closing. My eyes struggled to stay open but I eventually got to keep them open as wide as I could. Reiji had come back into the room and looked more than annoyed to find me still sitting there.

"You're still here I see."

"I just woke up. Sorry."

Reiji made his way over to the table I was sitting at, and started to rummage through some papers. I noticed that those were the papers that I had knocked down before whatever Reiji gave me took affect. He begrudgingly began sorting them out and apparently putting back as they were.

"I didn't mean to knock those over, I can help you fix them."

I tried to stand up only to flop back down in my seat. Reiji let out an irritated scoff while scanning through his papers.

"If you're wide awake, then leave. I don't care if you can barely walk. Crawl out or drag yourself out, I have work to do and you're in the way."

What kind of nonsense is that? He's talking to me like I came in here on my own and drugged myself up or something. The absolute nerve of him to act like this was all my doing. On wobbly legs, I stood and kept myself as balanced as I could. As Reiji focused on fixing the mess I made, I ended up losing my footing and tumbling into him. Instinctively, Reiji caught me by the upper arms and was staring down at me. Oh no. Now I've really upset him. He was already telling me to get out, now I've made things worse. But it's not like its my fault, whatever he gave me hasn't worn all the way off yet. Despite me not being to blame, I couldn't help but feel apologetic.

"I'm sorry...I-I'll leave now."

I tried to pull out of his grasp but he wouldn't let go. He only stared at me. Well more specifically, he seemed to be staring into my eyes. As if he was suddenly entranced or something. I couldn't help but feel myself staring back deeply into his. His eyes were an unusual and very unnatural color. They were red. Considering the whole vampire thing, this shouldn't be a surprise to me. Reiji narrowed his eyes for a split second, you could almost see a small tinge of sadness in his eyes. Just what was he thinking?

Next thing knew, Reiji began carefully lifting his hand up towards my face.

"Your eyes..."

This whole thing was getting weird now. I couldn't stop the light redness that appeared on my cheeks as Reiji began to move his face closer and closer to mine. My heart began to race. What is he doing? He's leaning in almost as if he is going to...kiss me?! No way. I'm sure I'm just speculating something absurd. What was this all about? He needed to snap out of whatever dream state he is in.

"R-reiji..."

At the sound of his name being called, Reiji seemed to jump back into reality. He blinked rapidly snapping himself out of whatever state he was in. He looked down at me and noticed how close we were. Without a second longer, Reiji let me go with a somewhat soft push. Seeing as how I was still feeling awful, that soft push was all I needed to hit the floor. I was still weak, so my balance was completely off. I looked up at him with upset and dazed eyes. He didn't even look at me after he did it, he turned back to his desk to finish doing what he was doing.

"Out."

I wanted to question whatever just happened but I knew that'd be a very bad idea. I pulled myself up off the floor and dragged my feet along to the door. Once I got there, I turned back to look at Reiji. So many things were running through my head at that moment. When he was staring into my eyes, he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at someone else. I wonder who he was thinking of while trying to kiss me? Perhaps a former lover? If so, I couldn't help but feel so bothered by it. Yet something is telling me, that that's not the case. There's this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that something more is going on, and that that woman Aria is linked into it somehow.

 ** _~lllllllllllllllllll~_**

As soon as she left, Reiji put a stop to organizing his papers. He couldn't help but feel angry with himself with how he behaved just now with her. What the hell was he thinking? She wasn't her, but she sure did have her eyes. Her magnificent amber like eyes.

Reiji slammed his hand down on the desk, causing some of his things to fall on the floor. He hasn't thought of her in over a century, so why the hell now? Is it because of her? That simple girl. Reiji thought back to tasting her blood and couldn't stop his tongue from going across his fangs. He hadn't tasted anything like her before but he recognized the scent. Too familiar and very likely that he and his Father's theory may be correct. But if she is her daughter, then that means Aria is alive. Its only been well over a decade since they've last seen her, but he thought that perhaps his Father had gotten rid of her. Like anything else he loses interest in, but has his Father truly lost interest in a lost woman? Based on what he told him that night after dinner, clearly not. So that could mean that she's not dead as he thought.

Reiji couldn't help but feel a small tinge of happiness at the thought of seeing her again. His eyes found Aria's gift to him tucked away in his book. Unlike his own Mother, Aria actually took notice of his brilliant and quick mind and was more than happy to help him further advance himself. She could recognize his smarts and potential, whereas his Mother wouldn't bat an eye at each goal he managed to achieved. She always had her eyes set on the pathetic Shu. There was nothing special about him, so why? Because he was the eldest? He clearly wasn't capable of taking on such responsibilities yet Reiji was. Reiji was willing to put his childhood aside in order for his Mother to finally see what he was fully capable of, but of course it was all in vain.

Clenching his fist, Reiji's face upturned in a pleased yet upset smile. He thought back to his Mother's relieved smile as she laid on the ground bleeding from her mouth. She shouldn't have looked at peace. She should've suffered. Been in pain and writhing around struggling on her whatever last bit if undead life she had left. He wouldn't be satisfied with putting her out of her misery because that's not what he wanted.

"You didn't deserve a peaceful death. I'll be sure of that."

 ** _~lllllllllllllllll~_**

After making my way back to my room, I let out a tired sigh and laid down face first in bed. I looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past one a.m. It felt as if it should've been almost morning by now. I adjusted myself in bed and pulled the covers up over my head. I needed to sleep. Perhaps sleep until next year.

The warm beam of light streaming through the window shined bright across my face causing me to stir awake. I rolled around in bed trying to avoid the streak of early morning sunlight but to no avail. Giving up at trying to stay in bed longer, I slowly opened my eyes and stretched my limbs with an loud groan. Finally waking up a bit more, I began to remember everything that happened mere hours ago and I placed my hand on my neck.

"They're gone."

There was an almost invisible ache there but other than that, I felt not a trace of what happened. Other than Reiji drugging me, which I still felt slightly sluggish from. Sleeping really did help though. As I sat up, I felt my joints pop in one place after another. Rubbing my eyes, I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was six a.m. Still early but I can't go back to sleep even if I tried. My body was screaming at me to at least move around a bit. It'll definitely help wake me up more and give me a little energy after what I had been through.

Moving the covers aside, I got up and made my way to the bathroom. Fortunately the things I needed to freshen were already in the bathroom for me. After brushing my teeth and washing up, I went back out into the bedroom. It was a bit dim inside, so I made my way towards the window and opened the curtains a bit letting more light in. I couldn't help but sigh in amazement at how beautiful the sky looked. The sun was rising and the beams of light were peaking in between the thin clouds making the whole sky look as if it was on fire.

I closed my eyes basking in the warmth of the early morning sun and sighed. This is the kind of downtime I needed after my ordeal. A calm, quiet and warm morning all for me to enjoy.

Leaving the curtains open, I walked away from the window over to the bed. I slipped on my slippers and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I think I would enjoy this quiet morning more if I got some actual outside air."

I walked up to the door and opened it. I was surprised with myself for not being more cautious before opening it. Usually I hesitate before opening the door but not this time. I highly doubt anyone was up at this hour. Besides, I believe they sleep during the day anyways. They get up much much later. Not me though. I'm usually up and moving around. Making my way down the hallway and towards the stairs, I couldn't help but still look around to see if anyone was up and about. Of course my hunch was right. No one was up at the moment thankfully.

Heading downstairs, I wasn't sure whether or not I should exit the front door or the back door in the kitchen. I opted for the back door. They had an impressive garden and I remember Yui showing it to me and just how lovely it had been. I made my way towards the kitchen and was about to head out the door, until a small scratching sound entered my ears.

It was coming from the door. Was it a cat or something? I opened the door carefully only to be greeted by a small curious squirrel. It wasn't scratching on the door, just rummaging around one of the flower pots by the door. When I opened the door, it quickly scurried away with a squeak.

I smiled as it ran off and walked out into the garden.

I inhaled the fresh morning air with a huge hint of flowers to go perfectly along with it. Taking a carefree stroll through the garden was the most relaxing thing I've done in a while. I ended up finding the small white bench Yui and I sat on when I first walked through here with her. I thought about taking a seat but decided against it and chose to keep strolling along.

You almost can't believe something this natural and lovely is actually occupied within their gates. The manor itself is more than intimidating and the inside isn't exactly what I'd call cozy, but when it comes to their garden, you'd think this place shouldn't exist here. Especially with a home of vampires. Well one of them being Yui Komori, so I can definitely picture it being here because of her.

As I casually strolled along, my mind started to drift to what happened back in Reiji's work room and what he told me. I really wonder what those girls that befriended Yui had done. I mean of course it was the obvious. Getting into her good graces just to be around the Sakamaki's but I wonder if it was a bit more than that. I can't imagine the kind of things that stirred up around here when a conniving manipulative school girl is around. Well now that I think about it, I think the only one that would truly be bothered by the girls would only be Reji and Subaru. They tend to stay to themselves and don't appear to want to indulge themselves in all that attention. But Laito and Shu on the other hand, I bet they were the reasons those girls kept feeling like they had free reign to keep coming around. I'm sure Ayato was off limits because he only wanted Yui but what of Kanato. The only thing he pays attention to is his Teddy Bear, so I doubt he'd even bother himself with female company.

I walked until I ended up near an area that had a big willow tree and many other small bushes surrounding it. It was beautiful as its branches and small leaves laid slumped over onto the ground. The sun was shining right through the branches giving it a lovely outlined halo appeal to it. Its like they had their own personal meadow amongst other things.

I made my way over to the tree to get a closer look at it, until a figure sitting down with their back against the trunk caught my attention.

As I got closer, I saw that it was a resting Subaru. What was he doing out here? Don't he and his brothers sleep during the day? He really must be sleeping soundly otherwise, he would've heard me by now. Feeling a bit daring, I slowly walked a bit closer to him hoping not to cause him to stir. He had his arms folded and his face was very relaxed. Gone was his usual everyday scowl and frown, which was now replaced with a soft serene expression. For him to be sleeping this peacefully, it makes me wonder if he gets any proper sleep at all.

I was now in front of him looking down at him. Feeling more bold, I bent down so that I was almost face to face with him. His chest wasn't moving up and down which means he wasn't breathing. That's right he's a vampire. He doesn't need to breath, just like they don't need to eat food to survive. I forget sometimes that they don't need to sustain themselves on trivial everyday things a human needs.

I found myself staring at his face longer than I intended to and couldn't help but see him as adorable. He was pretty handsome as well. It was hard to tell sometimes because he was always in a sour mood and it showed 100% of the time on his face. Looking a bit closer, I noticed a small but fresh cut on the corner of his mouth. I wonder what happened.

Without realizing what I was doing, I leaned in closer to inspect the minor injury, but was then stopped by a pair of pissed off piercing red eyes.

Startled by his sudden alertness, I went to move away from him but was stopped by a hand wrapped around my wrist. He was definitely upset with me for waking him up and entering his personal space like that. Not knowing what to say to explain myself, I ended up apologizing.

"I'm...I'm sorry for waking you. I didn't mean to."

There was no way to tell if he cared about my apology or not because his usual scowling expression appeared almost immediately after waking up and seeing me. He had my wrist held pretty tightly in his cold grip.

"The hell are you doing here?"

My mouth was moving but no words were coming out. I sat there staring at him with my mouth agape. If I didn't say anything, he'd only get more angry.

"Nothing. I mean...I was just walking in the garden. I didn't know you were out here. Well I mean I saw you, but I guess I shouldn't have come over. I'm sorry, I'll just go now."

I tried pulling away but Subaru wasn't ready to let me go yet. I winced as his hold got more tight.

"Subaru...you're hurting me."

I let out a surprising yelp as he pulled me closer to him with our noses almost touching

"So what if I am. You shouldn't have come over here being a damn pest."

The fear in my eyes was definitely evident and he could tell how frightened I was right now. I didn't know what he was gonna do and I didn't want to find out.

"B-but I said...I was sorry..."

His mouth upturned into an amused smirk.

"That's not good enough. You woke me up from a pretty good nap. What are you gonna do to make it up to me?"

I've yet to see Subaru behave like this. I mean I had a close call before at school but this was different. For a second, I thought that he was different from his brothers but as you can see, I was wrong. No matter what I thought or how something seemed, it didn't matter. They were still vampires through and through.

I was about to answer him until I saw the cut on his lip. Maybe I can deter his intentions.

"Your lip."

My statement caused him to look at me in confusion.

"What?"

"Y-your lip. What happened?"

Turning in head away from me, Subaru ended up letting me go.

"Tch..."

I held my wrist close to my chest while rubbing it with my free hand. Well my distraction worked but it seemed to upset him when I mentioned his injury.

"So...what happened?"

I know I'm on a tightrope with this but I couldn't help but wonder. But then I thought back to when we were all gathering in the limo. Subaru and Kanato got back to the car pretty late and I noticed Subaru wiping at his mouth before entering. Did it happen at school? Maybe...

"Um, did you get into a fight?"

Subaru lifted his hand which was balled up into a fist and punched the tree.

"What the hell does it matter to you?!"

I couldn't help but move away from him a little bit at his outburst. He obviously didn't want me prying, and clearly didn't want to talk about it but would it kill him to show some restraint. I mean, did he really have to punch a tree?

The tree now had some damage to it and I couldn't help my disappointment but at the same time I couldn't help but wonder if his hand was okay.

"Your hand...is it okay? You hit the tree pretty hard."

But that only seemed to make him more upset.

"Would you mind your business and get out of here. Why the hell are you being a damn pain in the ass?"

I felt myself getting upset as well. Why was he being like this? Is it bad to ask about ones well being? Maybe he's not use to it or maybe he just doesn't know how to respond to others showing empathy. Regardless, he really should calm down. I folded my arms and frowned.

"Is it bad that I care? I'm asking because I'm worried about you. Is that bad?"

I knew I was out of line, and I wasn't in any condition to go toe to toe with him, but I didn't care. I'm sick of his quick temper and attitude.

We both stared at each other for a short while until he turned his gaze towards the tree he punched. He looked like he regretted it for a second but then turned his angry gaze back at me.

"Would you stop it."

I frowned in confusion.

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that..."

I frowned deeper even more confused.

"Like...what?"

Without warning, Subaru's hand darted out and grabbed my arm pulling me close to him yet again. Only this time, he pulled me on the ground and hovered over me with both arms suspended on the sides of my head. Eyes wide in shock, I laid there in confusion.

"S-subaru?"

He didn't do or say anything but I did see a look of uncertainty cross his face. Was he hesitating on biting me? Why would he hesitate anyway? If he was gonna do it, then do it rather than leave me in suspense.

We shared each others gaze again and I could feel him looking straight through me. For a second there, it felt as if he was looking at someone else rather than me. What he did next made my heart leap in my chest. He brought his head down placing his forehead against my own while shutting his eyes. The surprise on my face was completely warranted at such a strange yet gentle gesture from him.

I then started to feel Subaru's body quake a little above me, and I couldn't help but feel even more concerned.

"Subaru are you okay? What's the matter? Should I get help?"

His light shivering had ceased but he hadn't removed himself from me. However he did open his eyes but they had a strong look of conflict in them.

"I..."

Not sure of what else to do, I hesitantly brought my hand up and laid it on his face. This caused Subaru to immediately tense up and lift his forehead from mine. I thought he was gonna pull away from me, but much to my surprise he ended up subconsciously leaning into my touch.

What was going on? Is this even still Subaru? Is he even aware of his own actions right now? And what the heck am I doing? Touching him like this. I am way out of line. Just when I was about to call out to him, he appeared to have snapped back to reality.

"You shouldn't have come here. You'll end up just like her."

"Like...her?"

Subaru slowly brought his head down in between my neck and let out a whispered breath.

"Tch...be quiet..."

Then that's when I felt the bite. I shut my eyes trying to endure the soft pain I felt. I wasn't sure if he was intentionally being gentle or perhaps I was getting somewhat use to the biting. Even though it didn't hurt as much, I still couldn't help but wince as he suckled. I felt Subaru's weight shift on top of me the longer he sucked. As he was sucking my blood, I noticed that he was the only one that hadn't sucked my blood until now. Not counting Ayato of course for obvious reasons, but I mean Subaru was definitely different from his brothers. He was very standoffish, not one to want to be bothered, always so bitter and angry. Yet at the same time, he has his between the lines moments where he can actually be, dare I say it, kind. I thought back to Yui telling me that he had his moments where he was actually very nice and helpful. I can agree to the helpful claim because he actually did come to my aid on occasion. Although one or two of those times were unintentional.

Why did he behave differently from his brothers?

I felt myself becoming oblivious to the biting and found myself shutting my eyes. It was the strangest thing. It was almost as if I could feel myself becoming overwhelmed with emotions that weren't my own. I whined as I felt him suck harder and pressed himself into me more. I was trying to focus on breathing but his weight on top of me was making that difficult.

"I can't...Subaru..."

At the sound of his name, he lifted his head and looked down at me with a small frown on his face. Realizing what I was trying to say, Subaru lifted himself off of me and turned to lay on his back with his arms crossed. I sat up while holding my head and knew that I was dizzy. Then it dawned on me that I've had my blood sucked 3 times in a short amount of time. Once I got my dizziness kinda under control, I turned my head towards Subaru. I saw a small smear of my blood on the corner of his mouth and his tongue peeked out to lick up the small smudge. As I stared at him, I noticed that he was looking at me with a curious expression.

"W-what?"

"Your neck."

I quickly covered the spot where he had bitten, but it was already too late. He had seen them disappear.

"Did you...did you see?"

Subaru didn't say anything, he only stared with a curious frown on his face.

"Um Subaru?"

Then I had realized that he wasn't staring at me, but he was spacing out. His eyes then suddenly went wide but I couldn't tell if it was out of realization or something more than that.

 ** _Years ago..._**

 _"Subaru?"_

 _Subaru looked up from his hands and up at the woman with Amber eyes. He had been sitting outside lost in thought after going to check on his Mother._

 _"Ms. Aria..."_

 _Aria smiled seeing as she had finally gotten his attention._

 _"Subaru I've been calling your name for a while, is something on your mind?"_

 _Subaru lightly shook his head and sighed._

 _"Nothing. What did you want?"_

 _Aria held up a pair of small shears. "Hope its no bother, but I just wanted to know if maybe you want to help me tend to this baby willow I've been growing."_

 _Subaru frowned. He knew nothing of plants and such._

 _"Why me? I don't know anything about that stuff."_

 _Aria smiled while handing him the pair of small shears._

 _"Well let's use this opportunity for you to learn. Besides, its not like I want you to uproot an entire tree. Come."_

 _Not waiting for his reply, she started walking and without thinking, Subaru was right behind her. Maybe this is what he needed right now. Some time away from his Mother. Just a moment ago, he had went to see her and just as usual, she would be gentle and soft spoken with him one minute, then the next she's lashing out at him ordering him to kill her. Of course it hurt him whenever she said stuff like that and it pained him to see her suffer so much, but no matter what his Mother did or said to him, he never loved her any less. He didn't understand, he just wanted to be there for her and love her, but she always shoved him aside and ran into his Father's arms. The main cause for her distress and suffering._

 _"Here we are."_

 _Aria's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked around at where they were. He didn't even know this little area existed in their backyard._

 _Aria noticed his small sincere surprise and smiled._

 _"Didn't know you had this lovely little area so nearby? Its great for clearing your thoughts and spending time just for yourself. I believe everyone should have some time to themselves and escape the world. Even if its just for five minutes."_

 _Aria stared at Subaru knowingly and gestured him to come closer. Subaru went closer and noticed a small drooping plant._

 _"Is this what you're tending to? It looks dead."_

 _Aria chuckled._

 _"Oh dear no, its simply a willow. A Weeping Willow, and you're going to trim the small branches."_

 _"But wouldn't that be bad for it?"_

 _She shook her head._

 _"Not in the slightest. Go ahead, I'll tell you which ones to snip off."_

 _Bit by bit, Subaru cut one twig after the next. Aria was sure to show him which were dead branches and which were freshly sprouting. Each one that got cut off, Aria gathered them to properly dispose of them._

 _"You did a fine job Subaru, very patient and gentle, I did right in asking you."_

 _Subaru couldn't contain the small blush that appeared on his face._

 _"Its not a big deal..."_

 _Aria reached out and tussled his soft hair making him grunt in embarrassment._

 _"H-hey!"_

 _He stepped away from her so that her hand fell from his head._

 _"Its alright to take compliments Subaru."_

 _Subaru huffed and shyly handed her back her shears. Aria reached for them but then winced and pulled her hand back. One of the blades had nicked the tip of her finger as she tried reaching for it._

 _Once Subaru saw the blood, he immediately felt guilty._

 _"I didn't...I mean...I should've turned them the other way..."_

 _Aria dismissed his worry words and smiled._

 _"Its fine Subaru, just a small cut."_

 _Before Subaru could say another word, he saw that her cut had quickly began to close up. Aria noticed his curious expression and tilted her head while wiggling her finger._

 _"See."_

 _The surprise on Subaru's face made Aria chuckle and she waited on him to say something. Her amused smile then dropped when she saw a bit of worry on his face._

 _"Does...he know?"_

 _His question caught her off guard._

 _"Subaru?"_

 _Subaru then clenched his fist and grunted._

 _"Does...Father know about what I just saw?"_

 _Aria nodded._

 _"...He does."_

 _Subaru then looked at her with heavy concern in his eyes._

 _"He'll...he's just gonna use you. Like everyone else."_

 _His words surprised her and she sighed while looking at him with appreciation. He was concerned about her._

 _"Your worry for my well being touches me Subaru, but I already know that your Father has ill intentions."_

 _Puzzled by her words, Subaru took a step back and stared at her clearly confused._

 _"So then why keep coming here?"_

 _Aria smiled and placed a hand on her chest._

 _"The truth is, I would've left long ago but then I became attached to you and your brothers. You all have made my life so much brighter than it was before. I do know that in time, I will eventually have to leave here but I hope that time isn't soon."_

 _Subaru shook his head and frowned._

 _"You shouldn't stay here because of us! We'll...be fine."_

 _He then looked away with a conflicted expression._

 _"Subaru, I know that it wouldn't seem like that much of a difference if I did stay but I love you boys very much. As if you were my own."_

 _Subaru shook his head._

 _"You're wrong...!"_

 _His small outburst surprised her. "Wrong?"_

 _Subaru shyly looked away not able to meet Aria's eyes and he spoke almost quietly under his breath._

 _"You being here just makes things a little bit...easier."_

"Subaru...?"

At the sound of my voice, Subaru looked down at his arm to see my hand resting on it. I couldn't help but begin to worry. He had suddenly spaced out and wouldn't respond at all to my when I called his name a few times. He moved his arm away from my hand and huffed while giving me a look of annoyance. I was expecting him to lash out at me about not touching him or to mind my own business but he didn't say anything. He simply got up from the grass and got ready to stomp off.

"Subaru..."

At the sound of his name being called, he did stop for a second but then continued on his way. I sat there on the ground while staring at him until he disappeared from my sight. He truly was one confusing guy. Just what even happened just now? If I'm not mistaken, he looked as if he didn't want to bite me let alone hurt me.

And the way he looked at me sent chills up my spine. It felt as if I should know him yet I was sure I didn't. So why did he look at me with such a familiar gaze. Shu and Reiji gave me similar glances. This whole thing was becoming more questionable by the minute.

I got up from the grass and brushed my hands all over my body getting rid of anything that may gave gotten on my gown. I needed to get back inside before Yui comes looking for me. I wonder if she's even up right now.

I made my way back inside through the kitchen and looked around to see if anyone was up. To my surprise, the kitchen was bare. I was at least half expecting Kanato to be in here looking for something sweet to eat but he was nowhere in sight.

Well since no one appears to be up, I think it'd be best if I head back to my room before I have another unpleasant encounter.


End file.
